A Helping Hand
by Sopphires
Summary: Series of one-shots between all the different characters. Across all generations. Includes Teddy Harry, James Al, the Marauders and many more.
1. Harry and Teddy

Teddy and Harry

Teddy Lupin sat, drumming his fingers on his desk. He wasn't tapping any particular rhythm, he was just trying to distract himself. For the fifth time in the minute he checked his watch. He glanced at the door, then back at his watch. He was late, 12 minutes late to be precise. And after all those lectures he's given me on punctuality he thought crossly.

Harry Potter was not having a great day. One of his son's had decided to climb the tallest tree in the garden, James, and his other son had decided, when James fell, to catch him, Albus. They were both in St Mungo's with injuries, though James was about to be released. He'd knocked his head when he'd hit the ground and had been concussed. Al, on the other hand, had completely shattered both his legs, broken both his arms and knocked his head, he was completely unconscious. Lily, his daughter, refused to stay put in St Mungo's and he was late, 12 minutes so.

The knock at the door set sent Teddy's momentarily stupefied senses into hyperactive overdrive. His head changed colour so fast it was impossible to know what colour it was on. He bounded over to the door and swung it wide open, with a nervous grin.

Harry had managed to placate his daughter with the promise that Ron would be here soon to pick her and possibly James up. Once he left the Hospital, he turned once on the spot and disappeared. He reappeared outside a respectable looking flat, he knocked immediately. There were a few seconds delay then it swung open.

"Harry!"

"Teddy!" The two men embraced and then Teddy ushered him into his home. They took seats on the sofa and the moment they were settled Teddy said

"You're late."

"I know, I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's been a bit stressful. I just got back from tracking McNaire across Europe, the battle at the end took about an hour, I swear, then the first thing I see when I come home is my _12 _year old son running to catch my _13_ year old son because he's decided to climb the tallest tree there is in our garden."

"Oh are they okay?"

"James is fine, bit of a bump fixed in about two seconds but Al… Al has smashed both his legs, broken both his arms and is unconscious till, I don't know when, and there could be side affects on his brain."

"God I'm sorry. I would've told you not to bother coming if I'd known."

"It's okay, just stupid Gryffindor tendencies."

"Yeah."

"So you and Vic."

"Mmm."

"C'mon Teddy I'm no help if you won't talk to me."

"Well really it's more Dom I'm having problems with if you catch my drift."

"Oh god." Harry buried his head in his hands, knowing exactly what the problem was. Vic and Dom were both daughters of Bill and Fleur and had inherited their mothers veela blood. They were the only non-ginger Weasley's and both had men flinging themselves at their feet. There was a year between them and they looked so similar but there was a very crucial difference between them.

Vic hated having the boys flinging themselves on her, in many ways Vic hated being beautiful. Ever since she was 11, maybe before, she had had eyes only for one Teddy Lupin. Teddy was a metamorphmagi and there for had absolutely no problem with looks and therefore had girls falling for him left right and centre. They had become the power couple of the school when they'd gotten together in Vic's fifth and Teddy's seventh years at Hogwarts. They'd been together ever since, three years in fact. Sure they'd had their ups and downs, months of silence, the usual thing between young couples they'd always gone back to each other. They had had a deep connection since childhood. They were meant to be together.

Dom on the other hand loved the attention she got from the boys. She was in her last year in Hogwarts and had dated nearly all the boys there, from about 4th year up. However she too had developed a thing for Teddy, in 5th year when Vic and Teddy had been dating for a year, but it wasn't love it was a creepy sort of obsession. A need to at least kiss Teddy. The thing was Teddy was fat too honourable to kiss his girlfriends little sister, even when he and Vic had broken up. Dom spent a lot of her time trying to break them up in the hope that Teddy would hit her on the re-bound. She had had absolutely no luck, until now it seemed.

Harry couldn't say anything for a moment then "What happened?"

"I don't know." Harry gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay I went to Shell Cottage to see Vic, as a surprise, you know."

"Yeah."

"I met her just as she was leaving, she said something had happened and she had to go. I asked if she wanted me to go with her and she said no real fast. I asked her where she was going and she got really flustered and disapperatted. I went in to see if they knew where she was but only Dom was in, Bill and Fleur had gone with Louis to buy his stuff, Dom was going to go with friends or something. Anyway I asked her if she knew where Vic was and she said she wasn't sure but she thought she was meeting someone and I believed her." He banged his head against the sofa arm. "I should have known that she was just trying to get me, hell she didn't actually say that it was a man I just thought…" Harry nodded in understanding. "Then she started being all sympathetic and comforting, like she knew how I felt and then she was so close and she looked so much like Vic but at the same time I knew it was Dom. It was like I was kissing Vic and saying screw you Vic at the same time."

"I see."

"And then, one thing sort of led to another." His hair turned bright red and Harry groaned.

"Please tell me you didn't."

"Yeah we did."

"Well, Teddy, I always try to be supportive of your decisions and all but this time I'm going to have to be brutally honest, you screwed up…big time."

"No way. I totally hadn't guessed that."

"And I don't think she'll keep quiet, in fact her whole year will know by now. Vic is going to find out pretty soon."

"Oh crap, what do I do?"

"Two options. 1 you sit here and wait for Vic to blast your door down. Or 2 you go to shell cottage and sort things out but I'll warn you now Bill'll curse you for what you did to his daughters."

"Why do I get the feeling 1 really isn't an option."

"It's not, it's the cowards way out and also the way that says you don't really care."

"Harry can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Now wouldn't be the time to propose would it."

**4 months later**

Teddy Lupin straightened his jacket sleeves once more and examined himself in the mirror. His features had transformed themselves into what Vic preferred, her favourites. He had shoulder length blue hair, brown eyes, a normal sized nose and the same heart shaped face he nearly always had. He had been quite surprised by the fact her favourite colour was blue, shoulder lengthen and his natural eyes.

"Ready?" Teddy turned to see Harry there. He, too, was dressed in a suit. He looked like he always did, though Teddy suspected that his fringe purposely fell over his scar.

"Yeah, I think so." He strode across the room and clapped a hand on Teddy's shoulder.

"You'll be fine."

"You think?"

"Definitely."

"How's Al?"

"Okay I think, he'd having one of his good days. James won't leave his side, though."

"Never thought we'd see that day."

"Me neither, on plus side it means you get me as your best man and you don't have to pick between my sons."

"Yeah. I still can't believe I'm marrying Vic, after everything that happened."

"Well that's life, full of surprises."

"I never thanked you."

"For what?"

"Helping me ever since it happened. For four months you stood by me and helped me till we got here."

"It's nothing, Teddy.""I just hope I can be as good a father to my children as you are to me." Harry felt his eyes fill with tears and he pulled Teddy into a tight embrace.

"I will always be there to help you."

Harry reiterated the same thing in his speech later. "No matter what happens you have me by your side, to lend you a hand."


	2. The Marauders

The Marauders

James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew left the library on Saturday conversing in whispers. There were several things strange about this. One was seeing them as a group of three for, though they had only been there a year, they had built up a reputation of being a trouble making pranking _quartet_. The fourth person, Remus Lupin, was mysteriously absent. The second thing was seeing them coming out of the library because the Marauders, as they liked to be called, were not renowned for working hard, with the exception of Remus, but they were all bright, with the exception of Peter. The last thing was that they were talking in whispers. The Marauders were loud and enjoyed being the centre of everyone's attention. Several people gave them suspicious looks and wide berths in case they were plotting something but for once they weren't. They were talking about something top secret, something they'd Just found out about their absent best friend.

"I'm telling you we need to talk to him." This came from James Potter. He had jet black hair that was very messy and hazel eyes framed in round glasses. He was small and skinny, the perfect build for seeker, which was the position he had newly acquired on the Gryffindor team. "He'd probably worried sick about what we'll do if we find out."

"Yeah." The response came from Sirius Black. Sirius was tall and well built, he had long, wavy brown hair and brown eyes. He had been a legend the moment he had been sorted into Gryffindor because he was the only black never to be sorted into Slytherin. He defied tradition and was proud of it. Him and James had been firm friends by the end of the train journey and were closer to each other than the other two. "He probably thinks we'd ditch him and tell the whole school."

"We're still talking to him then." This timid interjection came from Peter Pettigrew. Peter had been the last to be accepted into their group. He was smaller then James and plump. He had mousey coloured hair and watery eyes. Most people reckoned he had only become friends with them because James, Sirius and Remus had saved him from some bullies and he had started worshipping them.

James and Sirius looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They liked Peter a lot and he was always up for a spot of fun, more so than Remus, but he was so dim it was unbelievable.

"Yes Peter we're talking to him." James said tersely "Because he's are best mate and he'd do the same for us. Isn't that what you'd want? If you had a secret like that." Peter nodded but looked a little scared.

"Oh come on Peter, get a grip." Sirius said in an impatient tone. "He's not just going to bite you now, he'd only dangerous-"

"Shut up!" James hissed "We're supposed to be keeping his secret not shouting it to school, but Sirius is right Peter. He's still the same person, trust us, the only time he's dangerous he's hidden by the Whomping Willow."

"What?"

"Peter don't you have ears." Sirius was now exasperated. "James owled his dad yesterday and got a response. The Whomping Willow was planted last year, the year we came. They gave no reason, it just happened. James is dad is on the board of governors and they tried to stop it being planted because it's dangerous but Dumbledore was adamant."

"Now imagine if you have a passage behind the willow leading somewhere like the one behind the crone."

"He goes somewhere in Hogsmeade?"

"Peter why is it with you we have to repeat everything twice?" James sent Sirius a 'shut-up-you're-not-being-helpful' look which he grinned back to.

"My dad also told me that when he was here the shrieking shack was just empty, it wasn't called the shrieking shack, no one thought it was haunted. It all started last year. Now what happened last year, and what howls?" James and Sirius watched Peter slowly piecing the answers together.

"Ohhh."

"Hallelujah!" Sirius cried. Several people gave them curious looks.

"Sirius please be serious about this, this really important."

"Oh please, I don't have to _be _Sirius I _am_ Sirius." Peter sniggered but James just rolled his eyes.

"Where are we going?" Another joint eye roll.

"The hospital wing, Peter."

"Why?"

"To cure your stupidity you can't be this naturally dim-witted, why do you think?" Sirius said sarcastically.

The rest of the walk was uneventful except a couple of people ended up running ahead when they got hexed by James and Sirius because they were bored and James was once again rejected by Lily Evans, a very pretty girl in their year who had red hair and green eyes and was the only person, aside from Snivellus Snape, that didn't like them. This was ironic because James was madly in love with her. In fact the situation had more than once reduced Sirius and Remus to tears of laughter.

When they entered they found a harassed Madam Pomfrey bending over a boy with warts for eyes, stifled their laughter and crept across to the bed at the very end that had its curtains drawn and must, by default, belong to Remus. They peeked round and saw him sitting in the bed propped up by cushions, reading a book and covered in bandages. James looked at Sirius and they both reached for the curtains and yanked them apart whilst yelling "Morning Remus!" in unnaturally cheerful voices. Remus jumped and looked up at them and paled. Before he could do anything they had close the curtains and drawn up chairs. James and Sirius sat either side of him and Peter sat next to James, as far away as he could without seeming suspicious, slightly cowering behind James.

"What? What? How? You can't… How did you know I was here?"

"Lucky guess." said Sirius shrugging.

"Guess!" Remus' voice was at least an octave, if not more higher. He had no colour in his face. He looked petrified. "I said my mother was sick not I!"

"Yes we know but we also _know_." Remus sank back into his pillows shaking, his eyes closed. Hoping he'd misheard, hoping he was wrong. Hoping, for the first time, that he was having one of his nightmares. He pinched himself. Ouch! He prodded his wounds. OUCH! Okay definitely not a dream. Okay Remus, he told himself, you're a Gryffindor. The hat put in there for a reason. It's time to pluck up some of that courage and face this. He drew a deep breath, then another and another.

His friends watched him with interest and mild amusement when he lay there. For the first time his face was completely readable. He was hoping that this wasn't real. He was afraid. They watched him pinch himself and then wince in pain. He then poked one of his bandages and his face contorted in pain. They all snorted. They could see that he was steeling himself to face them. He was breathing deeply, nearly hyperventilating.

"Oi Remus!" Sirius had such a delightful way with words but served its purpose of drawing Remus' attention back to them.

"Okay." Remus said, a little shakily. "What do you know?"

"We know you're a werewolf and once a month you lie to your friends, sneak out of the castle, through the Whomping Willow and transform into a werewolf in the Shrieking Shack. You also have a serious self-harm problem." Sirius added the last part as a joke but no one laughed. In fact Remus looked more tense but also thoughtful.

"How did you know?"

"It was easy we noticed that you were ill-"

"No, Sirius not about the illness, the Willow and the Shack."

"Oh, James here thought, hey, couldn't be letting you transforming in the grounds so we had a think, well James and I did, and we realised the Whomping Willow arrived in mysterious circumstances a year ago and the legend of the shack being haunted likewise. It didn't take much to piece it together." Remus nodded.

"When?"

"We first guessed at the beginning of the year, we worked it all out, finally, today."

"So I guessed this is goodbye then." He said in a completely steady voice but the other three could see tears shining in them. "You guys are the only friends I've ever had and you're the best-"

"Remus we're not ditching you."

"What? But James I'm dangerous!" James waved it aside like it was nothing.

"Once a month doesn't mean you're dangerous now." Remus paused and James pressed his advantage. "And we all know you'd do the same for us."

"But-"

"No buts." said Sirius firmly "You are our friend. Our best friend and you being what you are doesn't change that." Remus looked speechless then said

"Peter what do you think?"

"Well at first I was afraid but like they said you're our best friend and you'd do it for us, besides we spent a whole year sharing a dormitory and nothing happened so, you know." Remus seemed to be struggling to find excuses for them to leave, whilst James and Sirius were impressed by what Peter had said.

"Okay." Remus said at last "I'm never going to win against you guys am I?" They all shook their heads grinning and Remus cracked a small smile, he couldn't believe it his fiends were not deserting him they still wanted to be his friend!

"Remus?"

"Yes James."

"Do you mind if I ask, how?" Remus shook his head but looked very sombre.

"I don't really remember because I was only four or five when I was bitten but my father he refused Greyback something."

"What Greyback, as in Fenrir Greyback the death eater?"

"The same. But anyway my father refused Greyback something, or angered him, I'm not 100% sure but anyway Greyback bit me in revenge." They all looked horrified and silently cursed Voldermort. "My transformations are terrible." Remus added as if to explain the unanswered question of the bandages. "There are no humans to bite so I bite and scratch myself, I lose my mind." More silent cursing.

"We'll find a way to help you Remus." James said sincerely. "A way to help you keep your mind." Remus shook his head.

"Werewolves only keep there minds a bit more around other animals, or that's what I read, and you're human not animals."

James looked across at Sirius and they silently made an agreement, they were going to find a way to help and they had. For Remus they were going to become animagi and help him keep his mind.


	3. James and Al

James and Al

James felt awful. He felt really awful and it had nothing do with the bandages he had just had around his head. Or the earful he had received from his mother, and the tears from his sister or even the sad disappointment from his father. He felt awful because he was looking at his brother. His brother who looked like he was dead. His chest rose and fell millimetres, the only slight comfort. Both his legs were bandaged, as were his arms and head. He lay completely still. The healers said they didn't know when he would wake up. They said he could have sustained serious brain damage from what they could tell. They also said that, though they had regrown the bones, his legs would never be the same again. He might not be able to fly again. He may never be the same again, and that made him feel awful.

His father had left, he had to see Teddy about something very important and had promised to be back as soon as he could. He had also said something about Uncle Ron but James hadn't been listening. James couldn't tear his eyes from his brothers limp body. James couldn't stop the guilt swooping through him like a hipppogriff. He knew his family would never blame him, openly at least but that didn't stop the great weight of responsibility resting on his shoulders. The worst thing was the number of times his family, friends and teachers had warned him about this. They had all said that whilst his pranks and his impulsive playful nature hadn't hurt anyone yet it still could. They had told him the pitfalls of recklessness but like carefree kid he was he'd waved it aside. No one had been hurt yet, what were the chances anyone would.

James wouldn't leave the hospital. Uncle Ron had come by to pick up Lily because she wouldn't stay put and was irritating everyone with her moaning. Uncle Ron had then said he could take James home, too, but he refused. When his dad came back from whatever he had been doing with Teddy he had let James stay till the end of visiting hours and then tried to make him leave. After a long fight his dad had conjured up a camp bed placed it next to Al's and said he could sleep there. He hadn't left since.

Summer was drawing to a close. In four days James was due to go back to Hogwarts. Could he leave his comatose brother for four months, alone? Well Al wouldn't be alone. Mum, dad and Lily would stay with him, but it wouldn't be the same. They weren't responsible, they didn't need to watch over him. Al was supposed to be starting his second year, he had spent the whole summer to keep his spot as seeker just like dad. All those plans ruined by James moment of uncaring, thoughtlessness.

The thing was, was that Al and James didn't get along at all. Al was a quiet boy who liked books and hated people staring at him and being the centre of attention. James was a loud boy who had inherited his grandfathers passion for pranking, trouble and being the centre of attention. Most people were shocked they were related, they were so unlike. The problem started out because James was jealous of Al. He had never admitted it to himself till before now but he now realised this was true. He was jealous that Al got more attention than him, Al looked identical to dad. James hated being shoved to the side. The worst pat, undoubtedly, was the fact Al complained about everyone giving him all that attention. This jealousy had caused James to turn himself into his brothers worst enemy. Al was butt of all the pranks, jokes and tricks. This was good because Al was smaller and weaker and unable to fight back but he was smarter than James. He soon found his way out of the pranks and then even started turning them on James. James had hated that his little brother could get the better of him.

Then came Hogwarts. James was used to the special treatment he received of being the Gryffindor Potter, but when Al joined them, he was forgotten, well not forgotten but Al was the main attraction. He knocked James off the Quidditch team after James had spent all Summer preparing for his come back. Then Al made friends with the Malfoy boy. Malfoy had sat on the stool for five minutes, five whole minutes, before the hat had put him in Gryffindor. He had been blanked and ignored and James had thought 'good, serve his death eater family right' but then Al had made friends with him. Then Rosie had, who was also a Gryffindor and one of their closest cousins, become friends and suddenly he was okay to talk to. James had tried to dissuade Al from befriending him but Al had just yelled at him, that James couldn't run his life. They had barely spoken since.

Now that James thought about it Malfoy wasn't so bad. He'd been round twice in the summer before this and had both times been quite….humble. His dad had completely betrayed him, James had thought at the time, by warming up to the boy and making him feeling welcome and when James pranked him Malfoy had laughed and asked how he'd managed it without magic. He'd come to visit Al twice a week in hospital. He always came alone. He never said much just sat there staring sadly down at Al. If Rose was there the two might go off and whisper a bit before returning.

James got up and left the room for the first time since he had arrived. He went into the bathroom and bent over the toilet. He wretched for several minutes, then slid down the wall head on his knees.

"James?" He looked up

"Dad?" his voice was weak, quite unlike his own.

"James." his dad came into the cubicle and sat down next to his son. He flicked his wand several times, then looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"I was jealous."

"Jealous?" And then it all came out. Everything James had ever felt about Al came pouring out along with the first tears he could ever remember crying. His dad just sat there and listened to it all. He put an arm around his son awkwardly, due to the cramp conditions.

"You're in luck, Jamie." said his dad, using a nickname he hadn't heard in years.

"How?"

"'cause I have been where you have put Al."

"What?"

"Uncle Ron once didn't talk to me because he was jealous of me, or that's what your Aunt Hermione thought."

"Jealous of what?"

"Remember I told you the story of the goblet of fire."

"Yeah."

"I didn't tell everything. I didn't tell you that Uncle Ron and I fell out the night my name came out of the goblet and he didn't speak to me until after the first task. Remember what that was?"

"Dragons."

"Yeah, it's exactly the same and the worst thing was I was getting it rough from the rest of the school and I felt it would be bearable if I had Uncle Ron on my side."

"Didn't you have Aunt Hermione?"

"Yeah but between you and me, Jamie, she wasn't much fun." James laughed

"So she hasn't changed."

"No."

"Sounds like the two situations are very similar don't they?"

"Yeah, what can I do?"

"You can always be there for Al, James. I don't know what he might be like when he wakes up but I have a feeling he made need his older brother." The two of them got up and left the cubicle. Harry whistling whilst James washed his face. "I have to leave for an urgent meeting James."

"Okay."

"Remember what I said."

"I will." Harry hugged his son and had left the loos when he remembered something Rose had mentioned to him

"Oh James." he said walking back in

"Yeah."

"Will you do me one more favour, it's for Al too."

"Of course."

"Keep an eye on Scorpius."

**1 month later**

James sat eating in the Great Hall. He was waiting for the post, he got an owl updating him on Al everyday. As far as he could work out he was making progress. He was still completely unconscious but he was moving his fingers and he had rolled his head from side to side, both sure signs that he was waking up. He took his eyes off the ceiling to glance along at the second years, true to his word he was keeping an eye on Scorpius, though no one had bothered to tell him why. He had noticed he had looked ill and a little….battered when they got here but he looked a lot better now, he had a goblet half way to his mouth and seemed to be in the middle of a debate with Rose. That's what they called it, everyone else called it arguing. He smirked from what he'd heard that's how Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron had started out, he would love to see the look on Uncle Ron's face if they got together.

"James." he looked up to see Professor Longbottom looking down at him.

"What?"

"Come with me please." James stood up "Where are Rose and Scorpius?"

"There, why, what's happened?" Professor Longbottom just walked over to them.

"Rose, Scorpius please come with me." they got up, surprised. They crossed the entrance hall and began to climb the marble staircase.

"Professor Longbottom, what's going on?"

"You'll see."

"Has Al died?" asked Scor in a tiny voice. Everyone turned to look at him "What? It's obviously something to do with Al because you called out us three and you're using our first names which teachers never do normally."

"No Al hasn't died. Just see." They exchanged another look and followed him. They entered the empty heads office. Professor told them to floo to St Mungo's.

James stepped out of the fireplace with trepidation to see everyone with big grins on their faces and their in the centre looking dazed and confused was Al. James ran and hugged his little brother.

"Al are you okay?" Al gazed at him and smiled but didn't reply. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm afraid that your brother has sustained some serious brain damage he does not remember how to talk. He'll need to be taken care of." James met his dad's eyes.

"Tell me everything I need to do."


	4. Lily and Remus

Lily and Remus

The heads common room was silent. This may be normal for most heads who were studious and spent their time in the common room studying but the head team this year was slightly different. Well not completely, one of them was very studious and would have preferred it to be quieter but the other made it their mission to destroy quiet. The only time their common room was quiet was when there was no one there. It didn't help that one of them brought their three best friends rounds every night and they all seemed to do was have a competition as to who could make the most noise. They did work, occasionally, but only when they really needed to.

Lily glanced across at Remus. He looked ill. Well that wasn't unusual, he looked more ill usual. He had his head bent over a book and was avoiding eye contact with Sirius and Peter who were sitting slightly distanced from him and actually working. Lily had never thought she would see the day when Sirius Black voluntarily did school work. James wasn't there he was in the hospital wing, he said he was feeling very sick but it wasn't anything serious. Lily didn't know what was wrong with him but she sure as hell knew what was wrong with Remus, she wasn't stupid. She had been covering up for him for years. She couldn't believe that Sirius and Peter had just found out. Sirius and James were the best in the year.

Lily watched as Remus sighed and got up. He collected his books and walked out of the common room. Sirius seemed to have no words for the first time and Peter seemed to be semi cowering from him. Lily sighed, she didn't want to meddle but it looked like that it was pushing Remus from them. Despite the fact she had recently discovered that she was head over heels in love with James, Remus was her favourite Marauder. He was the quietest, the most studious and the least of a bully. She knew that he was mostly responsible for James' head being deflated. He was the sensible one and he was a good friend. What he went through must be hard and he was also the one Lily had made friends with first. They had done loads of prefect rounds together and she had considered mentioning it then but how do you approach something like that?

She put down her pen and followed Remus out of the portrait hole, guessing where he had gone. Sirius shot her a curious look and looked about to say something but she just walked past him, making it clear she didn't want any 'advice' from him. She walked towards Gryffindor tower knowing that his dorm was most likely to be empty. Frank would be off snogging Alice so there would be no one there. She sped up wanting to catch him before he got into the common room.

Eventually her speed walking was paid off with a glimpse of the back of him head.

"Remus." she called. He didn't turn. "Remus!" He sped up. "Remus Lupin!" He was running away from her now. "REMUS JOHN LUPIN, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Remus froze, Lily had known he would, she was pretty terrifying when she screamed at people and Remus had seen her wrath inflicted on James so many times, he didn't want that on himself.

"Can you give me one moment?" he asked. He looked pale and seemed to know what she wanted to talk about.

"Yes, but if you run away I will hex you so you will never leave St Mungo's."

"Hey." he said, with the tiniest smile "You don't need to threaten me." He walked off around the corner. Lily waited for five minutes was just about to go looking for him when he reappeared. He looked so tired and weary and Lily felt so sorry for him."So." Remus let the single word hand between them, inviting Lily to speak. She gulped and collected her thoughts. She had to tell him.

"What happened?" That came out wrong, thought Lily the moment she asked the question. She had meant to tell Remus that she knew about his condition and everything but that question was the one she had really wanted to ask. Remus was so pale Lily thought he might faint. He seemed to sway and his eyes filled with tears.

"Sorry that came out wrong. I meant to say I know."

"Know what?" his voice was steely, defensive.  
>"I know what you are Remus, I've known since third year, it's sort of obvious." Remus grasped the wall for support. He clutched it and breather heavily. It looked like he was having a panic attack.<p>

"I should have known I couldn't keep it from you. So what are you going to do, leave it hanging over me?"

"What?"

"Is that why? Did you tell Snape?"

"What? No! No, I certainly did not! Snape guessed just like me except he doesn't know I know, I keep telling him it's ridiculous to try and dissuade him from his theories."  
>"You…you've been covering up for me?"<p>

"Yes Remus, you're my friend, you were the only Marauder I liked until this year."

"Well Snape knows now."  
>"How?"<br>"Sirius thought it would be funny to tell him that all he had to do was prod the knot at the base of the whompping willow and he'd be able to find out where I went. I was transformed. I nearly killed him if James hadn't gone in after him and pulled him out."  
>"What James saved Snape's life? When was this?"<br>"Last year."  
>"Oh we haven't spoken since fifth."<p>

"I see. I take it you know about the whommping willow and all?"  
>"Of course I do." Remus smiled. He was looking better since he had discovered Lily had known for four years and still been friends with him and had covered up for him.<p>

"You never do your homework in halves do you, Lily?" Lily laughed and shook her head.

"So what happened, I know last night was full moon." Remus pulled Lily deeper into the shadows and lowered his voice.

"Lily what I am telling you is in the strictest confidence. I am only telling you this because James, Peter and Sirius said I could, had one disagreed I would have had to leave your question unanswered. I need to know that I have your word you will not breath a word of this to anyone in the castle, not even your best friend with whom you share everything."

"I promise." Lily breathed

"Well, obviously James, Sirius and Peter noticed I was often missing. I told them my mother was ill and all that kind of thing but being who they are I am not sure James and Sirius ever bought it. In second year they figured out the truth and they didn't ditch me, they, they became animagi."  
>"What?"<p>

"Animagi. Werewolves are only a danger to humans, not animals."  
>"James is an illegal animagus."<br>"Yes so if you tell the love of your life will be in jail."

"How do you?"  
>"I spent six years with James I think I know what 'hopelessly in love' looks like." Lily laughed and smiled. Talking to Remus was so easy, he really was one of her best friends. "Don't worry I won't breathe a word. Anyways now they accompany me every full moon, I keep my mind when I am with them. I can remember who I am." Lily eyes were round as she heard this. She had been unaware of just how much of an impact animals could have on werewolves. "Last night." Remus closed his eyes and sank down the wall. "I attacked him." Lily gasped, taking a step back her eyes filling with tears. "Don't worry he was transformed at the time. I heard cry, a werewolf cry. I wanted to go to it but James and Sirius wouldn't let me. I got angry, I lost control, I lashed out at James." He had his head on his knees and he was almost crying. Lily edged forward and put a hand on his shoulder.<p>

"It wasn't your fault. You can't control your instincts when you're a werewolf, we both know that. You only respond to the call of your own kind. You were practically dragged by that call, it's just a good thing that James and Sirius stopped you."

"But if he hadn't have known me he wouldn't have been injured."  
>"Remus, do I have to tell you how stupid that is. James would never trade his friends for anything, a couple of scratches isn't going to make him wish he was never friends with you."<br>"What about Sirius and Peter?"  
>"They're probably just in shock. I mean Peter, well he's a bit of a coward but he does whatever James and Sirius does, and Sirius is like James,I guess he just didn't expect it and it's really shocked him. I mean you are the last person I would consider violent." Remus smiled at her and wiped the tears that had been forming from his eyes. He got to his feet and gave Lily a hug.<p>

"Thanks. I think I really needed that. You don't know how worried I have been about this. I thought you may have figured it out but I didn't want to think about it." Lily smiled.

"I'm your friend Remus, you don't have to worry about us deserting you, we may not be badgers but we're loyal besides I think they'll come a time when I'll need you."

"And when that time arises I pledge to do everything I can to help." he said with a laugh. His hand over heart. They set back off towards the heads dormitory laughing and joking and trying to guess what James' lies for the scars would be.


	5. Rose and Scorpius

Rose and Scorpius

If anyone had told Rose Weasley that she would be best friends with Scorpius Malfoy by the Christmas holidays of their first year she would have calmly walked to the fireplace and placed a floo call to St Mungos to tell them she had patient for their mentally disabled ward, that's how ridiculous an idea it was. If anyone had told her Scorpius Malfoy would be sorted in to Gryffindor her reaction would have been a scoff, an eye roll and a 'and hippogriffs can fly to Jupiter'. However both these events, however ludicrous and unlikely, occurred. She hadn't actually been the one to make friends with Scorp, that had been Al. Al was the one who was much more open minded. Al was seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He had stolen the position off James. Al had made friends with him after seeing him fly one day. They had got talking and realised they were much more similar than anyone would think. This had been in the end of September and as Rose's hatred had been more deeply channelled and encouraged by her father it wasn't until November that she talked to him. She still remembered their first conversation.

_Rose tried very hard not to scowl when Al sat down with Scorpius Malfoy. They both pulled out their books and set to work on their transfiguration homework whilst discussing the fact that the Wimbourne Wasps were top of the league for the first time in years. Rose rolled her eyes. She liked Quidditch, she played keeper like her dad but she didn't like discussing it all the time. She was also not happy because the team they had beaten were the Holy Head Harpies and like all female Weasleys she supported the Harpies. _

"_What do you think Rose?" _

"_What?" Rose looked up at her cousin. She hated him doing this, dragging her into the conversation. She was surprised to see that it was Scorpius, however, that had asked the question._

"_I said what do you think of Douglas? Al said you played keeper." She looked at him. There was no sarcasm there, she had seen the wit that could flash across his eyes when watching him talk to Al, when he was talking to her he was being sincere. _

"_Oh, he's okay but he favours his right side far too much. It's clear that the left side is his weaker and all they have to do is aim for his left and Wham! The Quaffle's through the hoop." _

"_See, exactly my point Al." said Scorpius triumphantly as if her opinion settled it "He is definitely not the best keeper in the league. His weakness is obvious to a chaser. I play chaser." He added to Rose, who nodded. Unwilling Rose put her quill down, wanting to put in her view._

"_But he's really good."_

"_Yeah he's good but not the best in the league, they're top thanks to their seeker and beaters not their keeper. Their chasers are okay." Scorpius nodded. _

"_Who do you think is the best keeper?" he asked Rose. Rose gazed at him, biting the inside of her cheek in thought. _

_"Maybe Blown for the Bats I mean they only loose because they have a seeker that never catches the snitch and chasers that never score, Blown has the best record."_

_"Yeah but have you noticed he's really slow, if you trick him he's a gonner." Rose crinkled her nose remembering _

"_I guess, who do you think?"_

_"Acken, Puddlemere. He has the most consistent game, he doesn't have any obvious weaknesses and he has the second best record." _

_"Oh yeah. It could be Acken. Who do you support?"_

_"Puddlemere."_

_"Hey no fair."_

_"What! It's true though." _

That was it a simple matter of opinion and the three of them were best friends. Of course it wasn't all sunshine and daisies because her family had not taken it well, not at all.

"_Rose are you ready?" _

"_Coming mum!" Rose straightened her dress and ran down the stairs wondering how long it would take before her dad found out that she was friends with Scorp. She knew all the adults knew Al was friends with him because Al and James had had a nasty row about it but none of the adults knew about it. She had a nasty feeling her cousins were leaving it hanging over her head. She wanted to come out and say it but she was scared of her dads reaction. Her Hogwarts cousins had been giving her the cold shoulder for months. Scorp had tried to stop being friends with them but they were having none of it. In all honesty Scorp was a breath of fresh air. He was so laid back and friendly even when people were muttering curses at him. His sense of wit and sarcasm fitted perfectly with her own, the snipped at each other every day, they debated the topics they wanted to without being told to shut up. It was hard to imagine life without him. _

_Dinner at the burrow went without a hitch until pudding. Al and Rose were nervous throughout the entire evening. Uncle George was giving Al a wide berth because Malfoy had been a death eater and he had lost his twin to a death eater and he was friends with Malfoy's son. The adults tried not to treat Al differently but the only ones that managed were Uncle Harry, Aunty Ginny, Mum and Grandma Molly. So Al and Rose sat in the corner trying to work out what Scorp was doing, he never discussed his family. He always got a rather pained expression on his face and right now they could sort of understand why. _

_Pudding was finished and so came the time when anyone who wanted to could give a speech. Not surprisingly Uncle Harry got to his feet. Al and Rose knew exactly what he was going to talk about. _

_Then James jumped to his feet. "James sit down." hissed his mother._

"_Sorry I need to say something.""Do it after."_

_"no 'cause I think dad might need to amend his speech." Uncle Harry sat back down and Rose gulped. Al shot her a worried look. _

"_Now we all no that one of our number here has been consorting with the enemy but I have shocking news for you adults, there are in fact to Potter/Weasleys who are friends with are dear Mr Malfoy." Rose felt herself go pale, she thought she might be sick. She saw Al's hands clench themselves into fists. "Now you may not believe me but I have proof." He pulled from underneath the table two packages. She heard Al groan, they were the Christmas presents Scorp had sent them. "The first says. _

_**To Al,**_

_**Pretty crap Christmas so far, as to be expected. Enclosed is your present. I thought it would be wise to send you and your cousin your presents early as your family won't take kindly to anything coming from my house. Hope your Christmas is good and your family (esp. your brother) don't beat you up too much for being friends with me, sorry mate can't pick a reputation-story of our lives there. Can't wait to go back to Hogwarts, don't know why I didn't just stay would've made much more sense. **_

_**See you soon**_

_**Scorp **_

_**P.S. I found out how to do that curse of the bogeys you were telling me that your mother can do so we can always try that on your brother. **_

_There was a pause as James re read the letter. _

"_I'd like to see that Curse of the Bogey's cast by a first year." _

"_You just wait you git." spat Al. His face was contorted with rage, spit flew across the table when he spoke _

"_Albus Severus Potter NEVER call your brother a git." Al didn't sat anything _

"_And the other letter._

_**Pretty crap Christmas so far, as to be expected. Enclosed is your present. I thought it would be wise to send it to you early as your family esp. won't take kindly to anything coming from my house. Hope you Christmas is good and your family and your family (esp. James) don't kill Al. Can't wait to go back to Hogwarts, don't know why I didn't just stay would've made much more sense. **_

_**See you soon**_

_**Scorp**_

_**P.S. I found out how to do that curse of the bogeys you said your Aunt Ginny could do so I could try that on James. **_

"_Who was that addressed to James? The suspense is killing me." _

"_You'll be doing the killing soon Uncle Ron."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?" _

"_James just tell us who wrote the letter." said Aunt Ginny in a tired voice. "I think we all want to go home, I think Rosie's ill." Rose definitely thought she was going to be sick. _

"_Rose are you okay?" asked her dad, all concerned. She shook her head and stood up. _

_"I hate you James Sirius Potter." she said "You are mean, sick, sadistic and you're as bad as death eaters! You're so prejudiced! If you just bothered to look you'd notice there's so much more good in people than bad. You're as bad as him bullying people just because of who their parents are- don't deny it! That's it it's exactly the same! It's the same with you all! Except for Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Mum, Grandma and Al. I hate you all!" She burst in to tears. Al put his arm around his favourite cousin and drew her away from the rest of the family. He met his father's eyes, green on green, a beam of understanding passed between them. James kept smiling his sick, twisted smile loving the rise he'd got out of Rose, just what he'd wanted. Al had never hated anyone with as much passion as he had his brother in this moment._

"_What is she on about?" asked Ron. _

"_Rose is Scorpius friend." said James smirking, waiting for the explosion. _

"_WHAT?"_

Rose shifted her place in the seat and tried to get comfortable.

_They'd gone back to Hogwarts, Uncle Harry and Mum had taken them. They had been surprised to find Scorp there and even more shocked to find his face harbouring a bruise. It turned out Scorp had told his parents about them and his father had not taken it well. They had actually enjoyed Christmas especially as Uncle Harry had given Al his invisibility cloak and had reclaimed the Maraurders map from James and given it to Al so they could get some peace. _

"Rose Weasley." Rose looked up. A smiling woman approached her.

"How is he?"

"His rib is completely healed, I take it he'll be going back to Hogwarts tomorrow."

"Yes, will he be well enough."

"Absolutely."

"Can I go in an see him?"

"Of course."

_It had taken a while for her father to come round. She knew he saw it as nothing short of betrayal. Hogwarts was quite accepting now a Potter and a Weasley were his friend. They still did not talk to James, Fred or Roxie. Those three still hated Scorp. Once the adults had got over the shock they had come round to her side and apologised to her, Al and Scorpius. Then when she got of the train she had been greeted by a big hug from her dad. She had been surprised that Scorp was going back but he wanted to make things work with his family. He'd come round several times and her dad had tried his best. Scorp was one of those people who knew how to behave in peoples company. He showed her parents a lot of respect calling them 'sir' and 'ma'am'. Her mum had told him to stop doing it so he had obliged with her but had continued calling her father 'sir' until he told him to stop. He also could not look her mum in the eye. Rose hadn't known why, until last night._

Rose paused by his doorway.

_Rose knew that Mr Malfoy found the position he was in very frustrating. He wanted to provide for his family, be a man, have his pride but his past made all that impossible. Mr Malfoy had changed, he wasn't a death eater, he wasn't anti-muggle born or anything like that but no one believed him. He vented his frustration by hitting things and more than once his son had got in the way. He was also embarrassed that he was being upstaged by his son. Both her and Al had been keeping a close watch on him, making sure the situation didn't get out of hand. But now Al was just a couple of doors down and it was Rose's job. _

But Scorp had been unable to look her mum in the eye. Her mum and dad had noticed it too because last night when they had tea her mum had taken him aside, Rose had heard the whole conversation.

"_Scorpius what's wrong?"_

"_Nothing."_

_"Why can't you look me in the eye then?"_

"_Because I know what happened there." There was a pause. Rose couldn't see her mum but she heard her shifting. "And I live there, I used to play in that room, and all that time. He just stood there." His voice was tight, constricted. He sounded like he might start crying. Her mum's voice came, calming and soft_

"_It's okay it all happened a long time ago.""But I hate him now."_

_"Don't okay, he was a scared teenager, in way over his head."_

_"You know that.""_

_I know that." There was a pause "It's why Ron hates him so much though. He blames him. It hurt a lot and it haunts my nightmares but it was the past." Then there was a shout of _

"_MALFOY MANOR!" and Rose knew he had used the floo powder. _

"Rosie." Rose looked and saw Scorp staring at her. He was standing leaning on the window frame. He looked a lot older than 12. Rose ran and gave him a hug. "OUCH!" Rose let go immediately.

"Did I hurt you?"

"I just broke my rib!"

"Oh yeah." Then Rose turned very serious "How could you do that to me Scorp! Al's already in here how do you think I would feel if your father had put you in a similar state." Scorp hung his head. He sat on the bed.

"Sorry, I just got really mad and I confronted him and we both lost our tempers. I don't know if I'll be able to go back."

"Don't worry you can stay with one of us. My family will help you, I promise." Scorp put his head on her shoulder and tried to ignore the pain in his side.


	6. James and Scorpius

James and Scorpius

James was walking the castle alone. He had just flooed in from home where he had been looking after Al. Taking care of Al was a full time job that was split between himself, his parents, grandmother and Andromeda who was like a great aunt, but they weren't related. James had been told that they could cope fine on their own and didn't need him to come and floo home for three hours but James needed to. James had to make sure that Al was getting better and he had to be helping.

James was a changed man since they'd come back from Summer. James was working hard and not pulling practical jokes. Though it hadn't been a joke that had harmed Al it had been that reckless impulsive nature that had ruined his little brothers life. Not only that but he had also started being nice to Scorpius Malfoy. His father had told him that Al needed him to keep an eye on him so he did. His guilt for telling everyone about Rose being friends with Scorpius and bullying Scorpius made him eager to make amends. James was also pretty sure he would do anything for Al, now that Al had tried to save his life, he owed him that. He owed him everything.

James had become very thoughtful of late, when he walked through the castle, taking a winding route up to the common room. He thought about how much had been given so he could just walk along this corridor with pure ease. His thoughts did not just rest with Al and the lives lost in the war but also with the people who built this school. How long had it taken for the founders four, great as they were, to construct this castle? How long had it taken after the battle to repair it? To restore the feeling of safety and stability to the walls?

That feeling James had always had in his life. James had always been loved. Always. No matter how jealous of his brother he had been he had known that his parents had loved them equally. He knew his family had loved him despite the pranks he pulled, they would just shake their heads fondly and say 'boys will be boys' or 'living up to the Marauders there'. He had taken all that comfort and love for granted and now he was seriously regretting it. Most of all he was regretting taking his brother for granted. His brother hadn't just been this little smart assed bookworm who'd really annoyed James. When needed Al could pull some pretty impressive pranks of his own. James often found himself dwelling on the times when they'd annoy Lucy and Molly, Uncle Percy's daughters, together. The times when they'd play duelling and Quidditch and they'd end up laughing for hours on end. James had taken it all for granted.

All of this led his mind back to one person. One person who'd never had any of that to properly take for granted. One person who had cherished every moment he'd ever had with his brother. Scopius Malfoy. James didn't know him well. He just kept an eye on him and he looked, normal. At the beginning of the year he'd been a little bruised and very pale and sickly looking but by now, Easter, he looked better than he'd ever seen him. Scorpius had spent some of the Christmas holidays with them and James had been surprised that Al had responded to his voice so well. James soon realised that this was because in his mind Al felt so much safer with Scorpius than with James, and that was all James' fault.

James had guessed, because still no one wanted to tell him, that Scorpius had encountered problems at home. It was quite obvious when you thought about it. Why else would he look bad when he came back to Hogwarts and then look better as time went on. His conclusion was that his father had been hitting him, James didn't know why anyone would do that, even Uncle Ron, who had been unbelievably mad about the whole friendship at the beginning, would never have dreamed of hitting Rose. He guessed that was the thing. Scorpius had never known the security that James had, he'd had hate pouring in on him since he had been born and he had come out well, well better than his father. That or his father still believed in the ways of Voldermort.

The thing about Scorpius was that he expected to be hated. He was pleasant but if you started bullying him he'd except it, not like he deserved it but like he expected nothing less. James wouldn't have stood for the level of hate he got from the other houses, he was treated quite alright now in Gryffindor since the Potter and Weasleys had befriended him, but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff still showed a considerable amount of mistrust towards him. They would not make eye contact with him, they would avoid him and they would not speak to him. None of this added up to the treatment he got from the Slytherinns, they had pretty much made it their mission to make his life hell. James could only do so much, they could do so much. As a family they had no influence in Slytherin, they could fight back but they couldn't be there all the time and these goons had a knack of turning up when Scorpius was alone.

Scorpius was one of those people who never wanted to draw attention to what was happening, he wouldn't tell James the names of the bullies so the most James could do would brew him some potions for the bruising and the pain, James had inherited his Grandmother Lily's ability at potions, and call a meeting to make the nasty 6th and 7th year Slytherins lives hell in the best way they could. This meant either launching attacks on them in the hallways, prank them or put them in detention. As it was Scorpius was very intelligent and therefore could often fend off most of the bullies, this meant he had never yet been seriously hurt. Yet.

James' musing was interrupted by the sound of small sobbing. James looked around, there were no classrooms here. He didn't have the map. He narrowed his eyes and examined the tapestries that lined the walls knowing one of them most conceal a door. James didn't often come near Ravenclaw tower so he wasn't entirely sure. He cautiously walked towards the third one the right. He drew it back cautiously to see a door that was wide open. Inside the room was a boy was curled on the floor, he was crying softly. His hair fell over face and was dyed from usual white blonde to red with…blood.

It was Scorpius! James bolted through the doorway and knelt down next to him. The fact that he was in a foetal position, sobbing with blood soaked hair suggested he had taken a really, really bad beating. His wand was lying a couple of feet from his body. James turned him over and that his face had been badly beaten, in fact he was so bruised that James was reminded of Al. Shaking the images from his mind he fumbled in his bag for the potions he always carried with him, just in case Scorpius needed them. Cradling his head in his arms James tipped the first of three potions down Scorpius's throat. His face relaxed, the sobbing stopped and his breathing came under control.

Scorpius' eyelids flickered open and he looked up into James' frantic face. The two of them had become, not close, the only person in Hogwarts he was close to was Rose. His relationship with James was hard to describe. Most of the time James treated him like a friend or with mild liking. There were times when he would glance across and catch James staring at him but they never hung out or talked anything, except at Quidditch. Both had rather been put off the sport after what had happened to Al. James was, however, always the most concerned when he got bullied or beat up. Rose just fussed over him but James got this mad glint in his eyes that made him worried.

The fact was James was always there to help Scorpius. James had apologised and asked if they could move on from then. Rose had been dead set against it but Scorpius knew that in his life, this life he was going to need all the friends he could get. James was loyal, a trait Scorpius valued very highly, and he cared deeply for his family, something he valued even more.

"Scorpius?" James' face was etched with concern. Scorpius sat up groaning. "Who did this to you?" Scorpius didn't answer he wasn't looking at James, his eyes were examining the brick work. "Scorpius please tell me." he implored. Scorpius' gaze shifted from the bricks to James' hazel eyes, these eyes watched over Al everyday, watched over him as he came back through the portrait hole, or down to breakfast.

"My father." James frowned, how could Mr Malfoy have harmed him inside Hogwarts.

"But your father-"

"No he didn't come into the castle." said Scorpius, his eyes burning. "He got _them _to do me in." James didn't need to ask who _them_ was.

"Which ones?"

"All of them. The Goyles, the Flints, the Blaises." He flinched at the names as if they had punched him in the gut. James clenched his fists, if he ever laid his hands on Mr Malfoy.

"Why?" he forced out, after stuttering for several moments to suppress his rage.

"Because he doesn't want me to be friends with you."

"But why? Being friends with us changes the rest of the worlds view on you a bit."

"I know but my father is steeped in the past. He doesn't believe in the ways of the death eaters, he's renounced that and he wouldn't call a muggle born a you know what. But he thinks that I'm, god I don't even know what he thinks. I think he thinks that I will desert him, and his family. I think he's afraid that I'll walk away from him."

"So he got some thugs to beat you up?"

"Yes but I wasn't to know he had asked them to do it. They were supposed to be beating me up for hanging around with you. But they're idiots so they told me."

"They told you?" said James his voice getting more incredulous.

"Yeah they had a row about it, whilst pounding me." James put an arm round his shoulder.

"You can't let them do this to you anymore. You have to stop taking this lying down."

"When did I ever take this lying down? I always fought back but it's like 7 on 1 not to mention they're all bigger than me."

"Then you have to stop doing it on your own."

"But-"

"No, it's going to get you killed. I don't give a damn about your reasons. There are, 10 of us. We out number them, not to mention the fact we're smarter than them, a lot smarter than them."

"But James if you guys get into trouble for fighting and all this comes out."

"Scorpius how many times we don't mind getting into trouble, especially if it's for a good reason."

"You think I'm a good reason?"

"Scorpius my brother was right about you and I was wrong." Scorpius frowned. "And it's not just that. You and my brother are more like brothers and you only knew each other for a year and that's my fault. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I won't, I just won't." Scorpius gazed at him before deciding what to say.

"I'd be lying if I said that what to Al wasn't you fault because it obviously was." James winced. Scorpius told the stone cold truth, it was the way he'd been brought up. "But you're making it right. If I could I'd go and do what you do but I'm not allowed. However you are making it right. Sure he doesn't always respond to you because he is a little afraid but you are trying and you're making a difference." James looked into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth, it was the bizarre unnerving thing about Scorpius, you could always tell whether he was telling the truth. He couldn't control what his eyes did. He couldn't control the mirth that would flit across them. He couldn't lie. James gave out a deep breath and got to his feet.

"I'll make a bargain with you Scorpius." Scorpius looked up at him curiously, and possibly a little afraid. "I will get you to visit Al in term time, it may not be often mind. If you let us all stand together and help you with your bullies." James extended his hand out to Scorpius who stared at it weighing up the choice he had to make. He grasped James' hand and was pulled to his feet.

"Okay." James clapped him on the shoulder.

"Excellent, now I'll call a family meeting and we'll plan our revenge."


	7. Scopius and Al

**_Dear Readers,  
>This is just a quick author note so you don't get confused. This just popped into my head so I had to write it. It doesn't relate to the rest of the story, as you'll figure out quickly. I haven't written the next installment of the next gen story because I wanted to finsish writing my other Harry Potter fic 'The First Year' but I know what will happen so that should be up soon.<br>Thanks for reading  
>Sopphires.<em>**

* * *

><p>Scorpius and Al<p>

"I'd try incendio if you really want to burn that." Al spun on the spot, nearly dropping his wand. The offending bed curtain fell gently from his hand. It swung tauntingly back and forth, reminding him that a few sparks couldn't set it alight. Another sign of failure. The sudden motion caused the world to spin and his head began to pound again, just when it had stopped.  
>"Then again, that spell is probably a bit out of your range." Al focused his eyes on the boy standing in the doorway.<p>

He was tall and thin. He had relatively long blonde hair that was slicked back from his face. His face was pale and had high cheek bone that accentuated his hollow cheeks. The shadows of the doorway fell across his face but his grey eyes glinted brightly. They flickered and flashed as he lounged against the frame watching Al with a curious, almost pitying expression. As he stepped forward Al noticed that no matter how relaxed his posture was there was an edgy, readiness to him. His eyes shone even more in the full light accompanied by the dark bags that hung below them.

Al jabbed the curtain with the tip of his wand, for want of something to break the awkward silence.

"Err thanks." he said eventually. "But I won't make more of a fool of myself." Scorpius nodded and crossed to his bed which Al realised was next to his. He didn't engage Al in conversation, however, just began to sort out his things. Al stood there and watched him for a couple of seconds whilst subconsciously rubbing the bruise on his forehead.

When Scorpius had finished folding away the last of his socks he turned back to Al. He looked him over once as if he expected him to jump on him and start throttling him. Then his gaze fixed on the lump on his head. His face didn't change but something in his attitude did. He suddenly regained the relaxed air he had had before Al had seen him. He turned back around and rummaged in his case and Al watched him curiously.

"Here." Scorpius said after a few moments. His hand was outstretched to Al and Al realised there was a little bottle in it. Al took it and looked at it.  
>"What is it?"<br>"Basic potion for bruises, bumps and abrasions. Should also deal with any side effects like dizziness and nausea. My dad bought them for me in case I ran into any trouble."  
>"Does it work?"<br>"Yep." Al examined the little bottle of purple liquid. He had to be mad to consider taking a potion given to him by someone he didn't know, someone his Uncle Ron hated, but on the other hand his head really hurt and he wasn't feeling too fond of his Uncle Ron at the moment. He unscrewed the cap and drunk it down in two gulps. Scorpius smiled.  
>"How long does it take to work?"<br>"The bruise should be gone in a couple of hours." Al nodded. He was very confused at the moment. "Who did that to you?" asked Scorpius. Al looked up at him. He didn't really want to tell him but he did know that Scorpius hadn't come to bed last night with the other first years, or for three hours after that. He was also very sure that the cure worked.

"My brother." he said bitterly. He could just see Scorpius' eyebrows shooting up.  
>"Your brother?" the tone in his voice made it very clear that he could not believe that a family member would do that to another.<br>"Yeah all because of what house I'm in." Scorpius studied him across Al's bed and then said.  
>"Maybe we're not so different after all." Al glanced up at him.<br>"What?"  
>"We're, as in us two, are not so different."<br>"What do you mean?" asked Al, curious. He watched as Scorpius rolled his eyes and then proceeded to talk.  
>"I mean that, despite the fact that are family history are the complete opposite of each other and that you have probably been raised to hate me, we both find ourselves in a house we don't want to be in and beaten up."<br>"So that's where you were last night."  
>"Yep and that's how I know just how effective that potion is." Al nodded considering Scorpius' words.<br>"Hey, what house did you want to be in?"  
>"Ravenclaw." Al nodded. "You?"<br>"Anywhere but here."

"People will get over it you know. They'll come round, see you're not evil. I won't get that." Al frowned.  
>"What do you mean by that?"<br>"I mean now I'm in Slytherin everyone's theories about us, my family, are confirmed and I'm going to have to live with the unfair social prejudices for the rest of my life. That won't happen to you, you were always a war hero's son first. People will come round, eventually."  
>"You think?" Scorpius nodded. Al broke into a grin. For one moment he felt like he was floating but then the reality of it all came crashing back down when his head throbbed. He sank on to the bed, deep in thought.<p>

Scorpius watched Al with interest. It was bizarre that the two of them were talking. He couldn't imagine ever having a conversation with any of the other boys in the dorm but here he was talking to Albus Potter. And they weren't just talking, he was giving Albus advice, advice he was listening to. Then the mere fact he was talking to a _Potter_ was in itself mind boggling, though not many people expected to find a Potter in Slytherin. Maybe the people he expected to be the most closed off were the easiest to open up.

It was clear to Scorpius, after a short while, that Albus had completely forgotten his presence. His chin had sunk onto his chest and the light behind his green eyes had dimmed, he was clearly in a state of deep thinking. Scorpius checked his watch, if he was lucky he could leave now and get out before all the other first years, and indeed the rest of the house, got back from breakfast. With that he slowly shut his trunk and made his way across to the dormitory door.

"Wait." he turned back when he had opened the door. Al was looking up at him from the bed with a sort of desperate look in his eyes. Scorpius frowned and glanced around to make sure no one was creeping up behind him.  
>"What?"<br>"You said it will get better."  
>"Yes."<br>"But it will take a long time."  
>"Yes."<br>"You've dealt with this sort of thing before?"  
>"My whole life."<br>"Will you help me?" Scorpius froze. Albus Potter was asking him for help! Albus Potter, son of the saint, was asking the death eater scum son for help! Though he had already guessed that Albus was much more open minded and individual than the rest of his family, probably how he ended up in Slytherin, it seemed like a very big leap to ask him for help. He turned very slowly and studied his face.

Scorpius had learnt long ago to read peoples facial expressions, especially their eyes. The one's he could most easily identify were varying forms and combinations of hate, fear and loathing. He also knew pity, it was something young witches shot him whenever they saw him. He also could tell when someone was lying to him. He could see honesty in peoples eyes. For example there had been a man who had genuinely wanted to help his father. His father, being cautious of most people by now, had said no despite the fact he really needed help. However Scorpius had seen the hurt flash through his eyes at the rejection. When he asked again Scorpius could see the honesty and the desire to help shinning through and so he had pulled on his fathers robes and said that he could trust this man and that he needed help anyway and he didn't want his father to die because he was too proud. His father had given the matter another half a minutes worth of thought before excepting the mans arm and allowing himself and Scorpius to be apperated, side along, to St Mungos. Now his father hadn't actually been in any mortal peril, Scorpius had only been at the tender age of seven at the time and slightly prone to over reacting, and had been released after several hours, but after that he had never doubted his own judgement.

Albus Potter's face was a portrait of honesty, many years later Scorpius was playing a muggle game called 'pitctionary' with his family. He had drawn the card and had without a shadow of a doubt drawn Albus' face and illustrated as best he could 'first morning in Slytherin tower'. Needless to say there were very few people there who got it. It wasn't just honesty either there was a sort of desperation. Albus knew he needed his help, he wanted to survive.

"You want my help."  
>"Yes because you've had people hating on you your whole life and I've never had that." Albus' voice quavered and his demeanour was shaken for the first time since they had spoken. It was clear that he knew the privileges he had gained from being a war heros son outside of Hogwarts, and he would have received had been placed in any other house, were useless here. He needed someone who'd been on the edge. Al knew he had been closeted and protected his whole life, he had never been bullied before and if he had there had been a whole host of people he could turn to. The problem was the people he may have turned to were now doing the bullying and telling his dad was a no go, Al doubted he'd believe him besides no one gained respect from hiding behind their dad.<p>

Scopius nodded and looked Albus right in the eye. He could tell that the other boy was afraid. Very afraid. 'Well', Scorpius reasoned, 'he probably should be. He's in a house that hates him and are going to beat him up, would have already if they hadn't have been so busy with me, and those who had once protected him are also bullying him. No one's on his side anymore. No one but me and I've only just met him. Then again this may just work to my advantage, father always said that there is strength in numbers and if we stand up together, despite both being first years, we stand a better chance. We can cover each other. I mean we're sort of already doing that, I'm giving him a potion to deal with bruises and helping him deal with the fact he's not the most popular kid in the playground. There are probably psychological effects and wait a second he had a cousin, I remember a Rosalyn, I think, she went, well I can't remember were she went I was more focused on where I was. Anyway they're the same age so they're bound to be best friends. If we can get her on board and…oh that's it!'

Al watched in interest as Scorpius had a moment of thought and then had a look of dawning comprehension came onto his face. His eyes went wide and his mouth opened out into an 'o'. He took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes darted around and Al could see him drawing the pieces of some sort puzzle together in his head. The only thing he couldn't work out was what this was about. He was certainly a strange person to be around, one moment he was relaxed, drawling the next he had a nervous anticipation and then he was thinking at a million miles an hour. Al hadn't known him very long but he got the impression that he had seen more of Scorpius Malfoy in these short minutes then many would in years. He guessed this is what happened in adversary people joined forces. They were bound together in the same suffering and now it seemed that Scorpius was figuring out a solution to their problems.

"Alright I think I got it." he said eventually. Al looked at him expectantly, inviting him to continue. "You have a cousin in our year don't you?"  
>"Yeah Rose, why?"<br>"What house?"  
>"Ravenclaw."<br>"How many others in different houses. Three counting Rose, all Ravenclaw, Vic is seventh year and Dom is fifth." Scorpius nodded. "Why is this important?"  
>"Because you're not the only one not in Gryffindor."<br>"Yeah but it's more about me being in Slytherin then not being in Gryffindor, besides Vic and Dom's mum didn't come to Hogwarts so everyone let them off."  
>"And Rose?"<br>"Well Aunt Hermione is really clever and Rose is just like her so it was sort of obvious she was going to end up in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Besides it's _Ravenclaw, _no one cares."

"Hear me out. Your cousin Rose, both her parents were in Gryffindor."  
>"Yeah."<br>"And she's your best friend.""Yeah."  
>"So get her on your side. Get Rose talking to you, believing your side of events. Look she's going through a similar, just less extreme, time as you and she's your best friend."<br>"Okay so if Rose is my friend then what." Scorpius rolled his eyes.  
>"I didn't explain the point did I."<br>"No, you didn't."  
>"You need allies, friends, people who don't shove you when you walk down the corridor, anything and the best place to start is with the person most likely to not do those things anyway."<br>"Go on."  
>"Okay so when, no, if Rose becomes your friend you can then get her to try and turn, what were your other Ravenclaw cousins called?"<br>"Vic and Dom. Why them?"  
>"Well, 1, not to be sexist or anything, but girls are generally more sympathetic."<br>"You haven't met my family." Scorpius threw him a scathing look."Of course I haven't." Al sighed. "Anyway 2, they know what it's like to be, to a certain extent outcasts." Al nodded but didn't look convinced.

"Look it's your family, who would you start with?"  
>"Actually Rose and Vic, maybe not Dom, but Dom would be easier to sway if we had Vic. Actually I reckon if I got Vic on my side..." Al sat up his eyes widening.<br>"What?"  
>"Vic is dating my god brother Teddy and all the boys, myself included, idolise him. If Vic could sway Teddy to our side then-"<br>"Then Teddy may be able to sway the rest!"  
>"Scorpius you're a genius!" shouted Al with excitement. Scorpius flushed with the praise and Al realised it was probably the first time he got a compliment from anyone who was family.<br>"Well." he drawled, after a short pause "It has been said."  
>The two boys shared their first laugh.<p>

"So why are we hiding behind this statue instead of going into the great hall to see if she's there?" asked Al  
>"Because the sixth years that beat me up last night are sitting at our table waiting to ambush either of us."<br>"And you know this how?"  
>"They discussed that they were going to do you after me but the prefect came down so they scarpered. So now they're waiting for you, they don't know your brother got their first and I guess if they get another chance to beat me up then they'll take it." Al frowned and flipped over so his back was resting on the statue, slowly sliding down to the ground he kept staring at Scorpius.<br>"Why did they beat you up, I don't get it." he said, confusion "I mean I know why my family don't like him and I know why most people don't but I would have thought that in Slytherin you'd be welcome." Scorpius let out a half smile and shook his head at Al.  
>"No well you see my family are traitors. My dad switched sides in the final battle and my grandmother she well, she lied to Voldermort." Al's eyes went wide. "How?" "She told him that your dad was dead when he wasn't." Al's eyebrows disappeared into his fringe after this statement.<br>"I need to write to my dad, get this story straight." Al said turning back to look into the hall.

"So back to business. What does your cousin look like?"  
>"Umm she's tall, red bushy hair, brown eyes, freckles, probably talking at 100 miles an hour to some poor first year who thought it would be cool to sit with a Weasley and got a lot more than they bargained for." Scorpius looked at the Ravenclaw table.<br>"She's not there."  
>"Sure?"<br>"I think so. Why don't you look, it's your cousin." Al looked around the statue then resumed his sitting position.  
>"No she's not there. What do we do now?" Scorpius thought for a moment.<br>"My guess is that she's either in her common room or the library."  
>"The library! But we haven't had any lessons!"<br>"And she's a Ravenclaw she's probably reading all the supplement texts or something." Al shook his head and got to his feet.

"It's not that I have a problem with reading but why would you read textbooks. Nothing interesting happens in them, at least pick a non fiction text book that's on an interesting topic." Scorpius looked at him  
>"I agree with you on some levels, but are you seriously telling me that you didn't read the textbooks before you came here?"<br>"Well I read bits here and there." They walked along in silence aware of the whispers, points and occasional shoves they were getting.  
>"I hope she's in the library otherwise this will have been a waste."<br>"It's practise and what would you do otherwise? We're not exactly safe in the common room." Al nodded but kept walking.  
>"Yeah it's just we won't be able to find her if she's in the Ravenclaw common room."<br>"Technically we could. It's actually the easiest one to break into, I know where the entrance is. They don't have a password you just have to solve a riddle, if you're smart you can get in. However I don't think we should burst into the Ravenclaw common room on our first morning, we're already unpopular enough." Al chuckled and nodded.

When they reached the entrance to the library they realised that the whole notion of breaking into Ravenclaw tower was unnecessary. They could see a gaggle of first year Ravenclaws perusing the shelves and in the centre, towering over the rest, her flame red hair acting as a homing beacon for the other first years and her she was talking very fast.

Scorpius looked at Al and they shared a smirk. Scorpius had to admit that the description of Rose had been perfect. He had never seen her before, well he had but he hadn't been paying attention, but he recognised her instantly. Unlike most people he was not painfully updated on the Weasley family's lives. He recognised the Potters, his father had a certain respect for Harry Potter but not much for the rest. It wasn't the disdain of his youth but it was an annoyance. A frustration and Scorpius knew that one of the Mr Weasleys had spoken against him at his trial. He tended to just chuck the paper away that had photos of the Weasleys in.

"Go on." said Scorpius shoving him in the back towards Rose, where she had separated from the rest and was browsing the shelves.  
>"What aren't you coming with me?"<br>"Err no, our families don't get on remember. I think it would be best if you didn't turn up with me at your shoulder. Don't worry I'll wait here in the library." He gave him another half smile and wondered over towards a section on wizarding history. Al swallowed and looked at his cousin, he'd never been nervous about talking to her before. He squared his shoulders and reminded himself that this would help him.

"Hey Rose." Rose almost screamed. She did drop one of the books but Al caught it. He grinned at her. Rose breathed out and then looked even more nervous.  
>"Oh, hey Al." she glanced around and then looked back at him not smiling "What are you doing?"<br>"I came to talk to you.""Why?" her gaze lingered on the bruise that was starting to fade. "Who gave you that bruise? Was it a Slytherin, should I tell our parents, was it Malfoy?"  
>"James gave me the bruise. Don't tell our parents and Scorpius is the one who gave me the potion that has help got rid of the headaches and dizziness, and I think the bruise is probably a bit better too."<br>"I'm sorry I think I heard you wrong, you said _James _gave you the bruise and _Malfoy _gave you a healing draught."  
>"You heard right."<br>"There must be a mistake."  
>"I think I know who beat me up and who gave me something to help, besides Scorpius is a little preoccupied to be beating me up."<br>"Oh and why is that?" Al paused unsure whether he should say or not.  
>"No reason? Why would you make up such a horrid lie like that, maybe you really are a Slytherin." Al stepped back from his cousin whose eyes were filling with tears, feeling stung.<br>"Firstly there was silence because I was deciding whether or not to tell you what happened to Scorpius last night. I've decided not to as you've obviously been brainwashed by the ignoramus masses of out family. Gosh you're supposed to be intelligent!" Al slammed her book down and stormed off. He'd made a real hash of that.

"Al wait!" called Rose, pulling his sleeve. He wrenched it out of her grasp but did turn around.  
>"What?"<br>"I'm sorry, but it's a bit of a shock." Al relaxed. "And I'm really worried about how dad will take it."  
>"What?" he said slightly confused. What did it matter how Uncle Ron took Al being a Slytherin.<br>"I'm worried that Dad won't love me as much because I'm not Gryffindor." Al just stared at her. Could she honestly be thinking that, now? He had just told her that his own brother had beaten him up and all she cared about was that she wouldn't be daddy's little girl anymore. "Also I'm not sure I should be talking to you."  
>"What?" Al felt the anger rising in his chest.<br>"I'm sorry Al but you're a Slytherin and it won't make me popular. A couple are sort of unsure whether I'm in the right house, they're a little afraid to talk to me but I'm doing a good job of convincing them. Talking to you would destroy all that, I know it. Everyone hates Slytherin now, all the people in there are the children of death eaters." there was a pause in which Al glared at Rose with as much hate as he could manage. "And…and…you of course." she stuttered. Realising that he had been right about Rose being brain washed by the narrow mindedness of their family Al turned sharply on his heel and stormed off.

Fuming Al stalked amongst the shelves of the library trying to find Scorpius. How could Rose say that to him. He would be her friend if the situation was reversed, they were cousins, best friends. Al knew he hadn't changed one bit since he had been sorted into Slytherin but suddenly Rose was afraid to talk to him. It seemed that the only friend he had was Scorpius. He didn't even know if they were friends but it certainly looked that way.

Al spotted him at the end of a row on history, a couple of shelves from where he had left Al. Al squared his shoulder and stormed and marched right up to him preparing to unleash an angry about Rose. He was stopped, however, by the look on Scorpius' face. Scorpius was gazing at the bookshelf with the same faraway wonder that he had had when he had been coming up with the solution to Al's problem. He did register Al's presence though by holding up one of his fingers to indicate he would like a minute. Eventually he turned to Al and said

"I'm sorry things didn't work out with Rose, you could try Vic but I do have another idea."  
>"That's great." enthused Al "Wait how do you know it didn't work out with Rose."<br>"Because you look like you want to punch something so obviously you're angry. It didn't take any logic to guess that things hadn't gone to plan with Rose. Anyway as I said you could try Vic or we can try my new idea."  
>"What is your new idea? Scorpius grinned.<br>"Remember I told you that my family actually turned good in the end but it was omitted from your version of generalised history."  
>"Yeah."<br>"Well I suggest that we find the good things about Slytherin."  
>"What?"<br>"Look, Slytherin only got a really, really bad reputation after Voldermort before then they were just prejudice. They did some good things too, people just don't know about it. We need to educate them, prove Slytherin isn't full of evil people."  
>"So what do we do?" Scorpius pulled a couple of books down from the shelves and sat down, pulling a piece of parchment and a spare quill towards him."We read." Al hesitated for a moment before dropping into the seat next to him and taking the next book.<p>

It took three months before Al and Scorpius published the first edition of 'The True Slytherin History'. This was mainly because it took them a long while to make enough for all the school, though as Scorpius said, all the Gryffindors would burn theirs without reading it. The hardest part had been getting the owls to deliver it to every person in school. They had had to see how many the owls could carry, but it didn't matter too much because the owls were hardly flying far. Al and Scorpius had decided to remain anonymous and therefore had got the owls to deliver to them too.

They arrived at breakfast at the usual time which was unusual for them. Al and Scorpius were rarely seen in the Great Hall and when they were they often left in a hurry as they had fallen victim of the latest Weasley prank. The Slytherins bothered them less when they realised that neither Al nor Scorpius were doing anything to cause them to loose house points. The rest of the first years gave them a wide berth but they didn't care, the two of them had each other. They needed each other too, sometimes Scorpius' level headedness was all that stopped Al attacking people who insulted him. Rose was the most popular Ravenclaw, not only was she one of the most intelligent in the year but also her dad, in a act to prove he still loved her very much, sent her big baskets of sweets and she shared them with all her friends. Rose didn't talk to Al, not even when they had lessons together, Rose just acted like he didn't exist. It wasn't nice but it was better than most people. Rose had done one kind thing and that was tell Uncle Harry that James had hit Al, he had gotten into serious trouble from his parents so he now resorted to tripping him up whenever he saw him, ripping his bag and pulling prank after prank on him. From the rest of the school he was shunned like a disease but it was better than the hate that Scorpius got but somehow he lived with it. It was no worse than what he had seen dealt to his father, he knew how to turn the other cheek.

His father was Scorpius' constant support. He wrote to Scorpius every other day and often had a few words to say to Al if anything had happened to him in the week. He, and Al's dad, were the only people that supported their friendship in the beginning. Al's dad also wrote letters of encouragement to his son but he had no idea of the situation inside Hogwarts and Al wasn't about to tell him. They were about to break up for Christmas which meant Al would have to spend the whole holiday not talking to anyone, because all the younger cousins and his sister were terrified of him, though Scorp had promised to write everyday. Al had started calling him Scorp to annoy him but in the end the nick name had stuck and it was better than Scorpy. Despite that though Al still felt a little afraid about going home and facing all his family properly for the first time.

Today, however, their minds were far from the holidays or the letters that were due from their parents. Instead they kept their eyes trained on the ceiling, waiting for the flock of school owls that would bring their pamphlets. They were so nervous that they were completely oblivious to the occasional hateful comments or gestures that were thrown their way. Their breakfast was being pushed around their plates, their stomachs had cramped with nerves.

When the post arrived everyone's attention was diverted to the pack of owls. They swooped to every person in the great hall, including the staff and dropped the pamphlets. Al and Scorp picked theirs up and pretended to read them to hide their grins. Most people were reading the titles with curiosity and all the Slytherins were grinning when they realised what it was about. Professor Etla, their head of house, looked proud in her chair and Professor Sprout, headmistress of Hogwarts, had a smile on her face. The rest of the reactions were varied. Most of the Ravenclaws were devouring them with an intense curiosity, eager to learn something new but they both knew they'd be off to the library to corroborate the evidence. The Hufflepuffs were perusing it with mild interest as if unsure why they had been given but most Gryffindors hadn't touched theirs. Al could see his brother prodding his with his wand trying to set it alight. He gestured to Scorpius who stood up with him and they sauntered over to James.

"I'd try incendio if you really want to burn that." they said simultaneously. James dropped the pamphlet and looked ready to spring off the table and murder them, for some stupid reason.  
>"Then again, that spell is probably a bit out of your range." together they left the Great Hall in hysterics.<p>

"I wonder how much that'll help?" asked Scorp when they'd reached their corner of the library, ready to start to second edition. Al shrugged.  
>"The Ravenclaws seemed quite on board." Scorp frowned.<br>"No I didn't mean the school, I meant you."  
>"Oh." said Al. He shrugged again. He didn't think he could put into words how much Scorpius had helped him already.<p> 


	8. Scorpius and Al Part II

_**Dear Readers,  
>Quick note this carries on directly after Scorpius and Al, hence it's name, so it isn't part of the other next gen canon I've written in here. Also I don't speak any Italian so I just got the words from Google translate. Enjoy!<br>Sopphires**_

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><p>Scorpius and Al Part II<p>

_Dear Scorp,_

_How's things back at your place? Is it nice being at home again? I've been at home one day and I really want to be back at Hogwarts with you. Oh that sounds really weird but never mind. I just mean that I could really use my best mate right now. Things at home aren't great. Mum and Dad are fine, Dad's been talking to me a lot about the pamphlets, he knows we're behind them, but my siblings are not. James is being the same prat he was being at school, just much more discreet and Lily is terrified of me. It seems that all the stories of the Death Eaters has given her a fear of Slytherin instead of Voldermort. It's insane! She can barely be in the same room as me! She won't talk to me, she won't even look at me! What's more she spends lots of time with James which just can't bode well. James is filling her head with how Slytherins bully the little first years and are the big meanies. He fails to remember that he bullied me and that well we are bullied by the whole school! It's so infuriating! Then all my cousins are so distant! We had one quick get together and now I'm not sure that they're my family. They just hate me, well not all of them. The adults are pretty accepting, except Uncle Ron, he's beyond prejudice. It's blind hate with him. The house is driving me insane. I honestly prefer the bullying at Hogwarts to the cold shouldering I get here. It's like everyone thinks I'm a different person now. Sometimes I'm pretty sure you're the only one who sees me as Al and not as 'The Slytherin Potter'. Being at home has made me realise how biased my family is, my room is red and gold, can you believe? Of course I changed that very quickly, there was no way in hell I am having a red and gold room it's just embarrassing. But the fact of the matter is my entire house is themed around Gryffindor House; red sofas, red wallpaper, dad takes house loyalty to a whole new level. Now my room is green, I think it's pretty cool but Lily had a sort of heart attack, I think she thinks it's cursed now. Dad's trying but he's not really getting through to her, James is a much bigger influence on her opinions now. Well by the time you've replied the dreaded Christmas get together will be three days off. I can't wait for it to be over. It's horrible hating Christmas. Sorry for the moaning but there is really nothing going good for me at the moment.  
><em>_Tell your Father and Mum I wish them Merry Christmas.  
><em>_From,  
><em>_Al_

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><p><em><strong>Dear Al,<strong>_

_**Things are good at my place, not to be mean. Mum's gone sort of crazy on the decorating front so the house looks like an explosion in a festivities shop but it's nice being home, even if you are woken at 5 am by flying Santas singing Good Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs! I have to admit the way you phrased the 'I want to be back at Hogwarts with you' bit was weird, it made me sound like your lover or something, gross! Not that I have a problem with gay people but you're my best mate. Anyway, don't get too bogged down on the bad things at home, look for the little positives. Like, I don't know talk to your dad about the pamphlets, see if he has any advice for them or any information. You don't think he'll tell anyone that it's us do you? I hope he doesn't, not yet at least but on the pamphlet front I think we should publish them with code names. Anyway, Malfoy Manor has a large library so I'll look some stuff up see if I find anything useful. Don't bother with James, one day he'll get over it, when he grows up. It's the same with Lily, when she stops taking your families word as gospel and starts to realise that the world isn't quite so black and white she'll come round. You could speed the process up by being extra nice to her, buy her something she really wants for Christmas, maybe. You can't do much to stop her spending time with James, and well some Slytherins do bully first years, we know that all to well. You just need to make sure that you get your word in now and then, don't let them drown you out. As for your cousins, well they act like that at school did you expect it to change at home? See the adults don't hate you but I'll bet they disliked Slytherin when they were in school, it's all about growing up and not accepting everything you hear. Your Uncle Ron is the one my dad really doesn't like, sorry, but maybe it's just part of his personality. Maybe he just carries a grudge forever, also my dad was an idiot as a kid. I'm not surprised you prefer the bullying at Hogwarts, at least you don't know those people, to be treated like that by the people you love must really hurt. Al your house has never mattered to me because you talked to me, simple as but also has it occurred to you that only knew when you were in Slytherin. I can't believe you had a red and gold room! Thank god you changed it to green! Al of course your family is biased they were the family that defeated the most evil wizard of all time who was a **__**Slytherin**__**! Said it once say it again nothing you can do about Lily. I'm sure there'll be one person at your 'dreaded' Christmas gathering you can talk to. I hope the advice helps you and that your Christmas gets better.  
><strong>__**Wish your parents Merry Christmas from me.  
><strong>__**From  
><strong>__**Scorp**_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Scorp, <em>

_Things are getting out of hand at home. Dad had Rose and her family over and because they don't realise that we aren't friends anymore. Well anyway Rose went off with James, Lily and Hugo, he's Rose's little brother, and left me in my room on my own. It didn't matter to me because at least they weren't bothering me. I should have known it was too good to be true. Long story short they decided to play a trick on me so it looked like I'd hurt Lily, of course it was really just a blood blister pod from Uncle Georges joke shop and then she burst into tears really convincingly and started sobbing about how I'd hurt her! It was all James' idea, I could see him laughing about it with Hugo, Rose looked a bit more on the fence but she went along with it. I'm now locked in my room! Dad just believed Lily and I know it's because I'm in Slytherin! Uncle Ron was going mad he was shouting about how they were corrupting me and I had to be taken out of there. He started yelling at my dad that he should have written a letter like he had to ask if Al could be moved house, he wrote and asked if Rose could be moved. He started yelling that Dad was an idiot for thinking anything good could come out of Slytherin. Then Dad threw him out of the house. I haven't seen him that mad ever! James has been tapping on my wall for the past half an hour, trying to annoy me. This place is driving me mad, Scorp! What's going to happen come Christmas? God I actually think I'm going to cry. Ah crap, it's smudging the paper. I'm sorry but I feel really hopeless, I've tried following your advice about not getting angry but I can't do it! How can you stay so calm? Merlin it's getting to me! I'm counting the days till I can go back to Hogwarts. Dad just came and had a talk with me. I told him I didn't do it and they were playing a prank and Dad sort of believed me, I mean he said he wouldn't put it past James to do that after the hitting incident and Hugo would follow James' lead, but not Lily. He would not believe Lily would get involved in something as mean as that. I swear Lily will be a Slytherin the way she's heading. Any way because she's the apple of dad's eye there's no way she can be mean. Hate this place. Hate my own family.  
><em>_Al  
><em>_P.S. Code names are a good idea._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Al,<strong>_

_**I think you need to calm down, things are rarely as bad as they seem but they will always be if you let your imagination run away with them, does that make sense? Probably not. You need to have a positive attitude. Things will get better. We go back to Hogwarts soon. It will get better. As you said Rose seemed reluctant to take part in the scheme that means she doesn't hate you, now she's popular and secure she may become friends with you. Also think, she is your cousin, she's smart and she's not afraid anymore. She'll think of an excuse if she wants to. Wait and see. Patience is the most important thing I can stress here, that and don't lash out. Also make sure everyone knows you're proud to be a Slytherin, maybe tell Lily that you think she could be a Slytherin with traits like that but in a sort of, not encouraging, but in a way that isn't bullying like James, one that takes pride in the traits associated with your house. Ignore what your Uncle said, it's complete rubbish. Good people do come out of Slytherin, I'm pretty sure Horace Slughorn was one, not just their head of house, I've been reading, I'll be putting that in the next pamphlet. He was on the right side the entire time from what I've read, Dad has his memoirs. Besides there is a first time for everything right? Also aren't you named after a Slytherin, Severus, after Severus Snape, do you know his story, the real one because I know he was a double agent but not much more. See there's another good person who came from Slytherin. Look you have to learn to deflect the comments people throw at you, it doesn't matter a thing. Are you happy with who you are and where you are? If you are then that's fine. You need a thick skin and it's really hard to do but you can do it. You don't hate your family Al, you love them and that's why it hurts so much. I'm sorry, really I am, but there's nothing more I can do. You're just going to have to stick it out and in the out you'll come out stronger.  
><strong>__**From  
><strong>__**Scorp  
><strong>__**P.S. I thought it was. Any ideas though? **_

* * *

><p><em>Scorp,<em>

_Tomorrow is the big day. If the owl is fast you should get back around nightfall. I found this for you, it isn't much but I am grounded so I have a fairly good excuse. Anyway Merry Christmas, though I'm still quite angry your last letter really helped me get a grip, thanks. You're a very good friend to me. I am so glad I swallowed my pride when I did and asked for your help otherwise I would be screwed. I'll see about Rose, I haven't seen her since the 'incident' maybe you're right. I just can't help thinking that she didn't want to do it because make her dad angry more than anything. Just a thought. I took you up in the suggestion and Lily started crying. My mum wanted to punish me but I said that it was discrimination, I was actually complimenting her, why would she not want to be in Slytherin I liked it, teensy lie there but it got me off the hook. I spoke to dad about Serverus Snape and he said he'd tell me about it another time but he did say that Slughorn was a brave man that gave a crucial bit a evidence to himself that seriously helped defeat Voldermort in spite of the consequences it might have for him. He's proud of what we're doing, he thinks we're doing this the right way. You're right I'm happy with who I am, I don't want to be anyone else so I guess that should be good enough for the rest of the world. You give the best advice ever. I'm not sure about the whole love/hate thing, I'll take your word. Write back soon, I'll all the help I can get to get through tomorrow.  
><em>_Al  
><em>_P.S. Our names should have some sort of reference or meaning to us. _

* * *

><p><em><strong>Al,<strong>_

_**I hope this doesn't find you at an inconvenient time. I haven't opened the present. It came when we were all together so Father confiscated the present, I'll open it soon. Your present is enclosed, I hope you like it! Merry Christmas! I'm glad you're back on track and you're not freaking out or whatever the hell was going on in the last one. See all you needed to do was calm down and think about it, look forward not back. I've actually never a friend before, and you being mine is a pretty big learning experience but I'm glad I'm doing ok. I think you're right you really did need my help and I need you because well I think I do need a friend, someone my own age to talk to. Anyway maybe that's the case with Rose but I still don't think she hates you or would choose this, she's doing what's best for herself. See I told you telling Lily was a good idea, I bet you anything you have planted little seeds of thought in their heads, bet you anything. I noted down the Slughorn thing, I have now over onto two pamphlets, sorry about that but hey it's all good. I can wait for the Snape thing, I have feeling that's big, but it also must be personal, you are named after him. I'm glad you're happy with you are and you're taking my word for everything, brilliant!  
><strong>__**Merry Christmas, see you soon, good luck tomorrow.  
><strong>__**Scorp  
><strong>__**P.S. Well duh! I thought maybe Serpente Fiero for you, it's Italian for proud serpent, sort of fitting right? Can't think of anything for myself though. I thought Italian 'cause I speak it a little and it sounds cool.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em>Scorp, <em>

_Well I survived. Sorry where are my manners. How was your Christmas? Did you get good presents? Did you like mine? I liked yours. Your owl came in when we were having breakfast and thought James might take out his wand and curse it. I opened the present at the table and the look on his face! I cannot believe you got me the snitch from the 2010 Quidditch World Cup! How on earth did you afford it? Didn't you want it for yourself? I would've even if I played chaser. It makes my present look inadequate. Anyway after that Lily opened some presents because otherwise she'd cry and then we flooed over to the Burrow to open our gifts with my __entire__ family. I have to admit I was really scared about what they had got me for Christmas. I mean I was dreading James' present. It wasn't so bad in the end when I got there. James and Lily went off with the rest of my cousins. Uncle Ron kept Rose and Hugo away from me but I just sat and listened to Uncle Charlie and Uncle Bill talking about their adventures as dragon keepers and curse breakers. James tried to prank me a couple of times but I avoided most of them. At lunch I sat on my own and listened to the others talk, James was bad mouthing Slytherin at the top of his voice but then something really strange happened. Vic and Dom, they're in Ravenclaw leapt to in before me, they started spouting all the stuff from the pamphlets and some other stuff that they must have researched later, I'll tell you about it when we get back. Anyway they got into this row because James kept saying the stuff in the pamphlets was made up and they said it wasn't, all the people in Ravenclaw had done the research and corroborated the stories! I think we have them converted! Or partially, they said they were looking forward to the next edition when we went back. All this time Dad was staring at me but I didn't say anything I just watched the argument. Everyone kept expecting me to say something, then Dom said  
><em>"_I wonder who in Slytherin is doing it." and everyone looked at me and I didn't know what to say. So I said the first thing that came into my head.  
><em>"_It's the Serpente Fiero and the Figlio Fiero." I looked up some Italian before we left and for some reason the fact that son is figlio stuck in my head, so you are the proud son, I think it fits you well. Anyway everyone stared at me like what hell are you talking about so I said  
>"It's their code names, it means proud serpent and proud son, it's done by two people who aren't ashamed of being a Slytherin or their heritage." and then I went back to eating. I could tell that my dad was smiling to me, he knows who's who, and he likes it. After lunch we moved into the living room to open the presents. It could have been worse but I've had better. <em>

_Grandpa and Grandma:__ Green jumper with a silver 'A'. I normally get some muggle curiosity but Grandpa didn't give it to me for some reason, that hurt a lot more than I let on. I think only Dad noticed. _

_Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Vic, Dom, Louis: __I got a book on the History of Slytherin, it's one of the ones we've been using so that's good. _

_Uncle Charlie: __Dragon toy. What the hell? I have no idea why he thought I would like it, it's for five year olds. _

_Uncle Percy, Aunt Audrey, Molly, Lucy:__ They normally buy me novels that I enjoy reading but this year they bought me those disgusting Honeydukes snakes that no one likes. I pretended to be thrilled. _

_Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Fred, Roxie:__ Edible dark marks. They've been out of stock for years, they make you sick, and they're not funny at all. Worst present from them ever. _

_Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Rose and Hugo:__ They got me a tail clipper with snake shaped handles, I noticed Uncle Ron didn't sign the card. _

_Mum and Dad:__ Mum and Dad gave me by far the best present, well joint best with you. They gave me the knew Skyliner 500! No joke! I thought they were giving it to James but because he hit me he got a new broom, as promised because he got under so many detentions but it was a Nimbus and everyone knows they haven't made a good broom since the 2001. _

_James:__ James decided to purvey his humour by giving me a book entitled the 100 fail safe ways to being the Next Dark Lord. Then when I was forced to open it by mum, it sprung up and bit off my nose. I have never been in more pain. My nose came right off and everyone found that soo funny even though I was bleeding. I stormed off, once Dad had fixed it, and gave back after fifteen minutes once I'd calmed down like you'd told my to. James is in big trouble now but I don't care. _

_Lily:__ Lily didn't give me a present, it turns out the Skyliner was also from her, though she didn't pay for it or sign the card or anything. That hurt when I saw how much she must have spent on James' present, it was a model Quidditch pitch and the fact that I took your advice and gave her something she wanted, a new Quaffle. But hey that's what happens. There's absolutely nothing I can do about it.  
>Once we'd finished that we went outside to play Quidditch. It was great to play on the Skyliner but the problem was I was up against James and all the other people were trying to knock me out of the air. I would have cracked my head open if Uncle Charlie hadn't've caught me. All the bludgers were knocked my way and I was shoved off my broom in the end by James as we raced for the snitch, he caught the snitch and my broom fell to the ground. I was left hanging off one of the chimmney pots seven floors up, until Dad came to rescue me. I was lucky not to die, I think but I didn't say anything about it. Dad's being extra nice to me but it can't make up for it. I miss them. I miss my family. Any ideas?<br>Serpent_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Serpent,<strong>_

_**I'll answer your questions about my Christmas and then we'll get onto yours. I had a good Christmas, just me, Mum, Father and Grandmother, that's how I like it. I got very good presents actually, coincidentally I got the Skyliner too! That and a couple of books on Slytherin history, from Grandmother and in the post from my Aunt Daphne, she lives in Italy. They all know about the pamphlets. I really liked your present actually, I don't think it's inadequate compared to mine, the sentimental value of yours far outstrips the cost of mine. There is one thing I want to know. Where did all those photos come from? I don't remember them being taken. To answer your question about to snitch I didn't buy it I won it in a raffle. I've had it for years. I thought it would be something you'd like, so I've had for a bit and now you can have it. See I told you there'd be people who'd talk to you, even if you have to converse with adults, I've done it my whole life. The thing that happened at lunch is excellent. It means we are getting through to people. Brilliant. It also means that those two cousins of yours are more on your side, you should go talk to them. I like the name. Figlio Fiero; proud son. It's perfect. So now we have our names I can add them to the bottom of this next addition. Serpent and Son. That's got a good ring to it. Don't get too down about the presents though I am slightly worried that most of your family seem to want to cause you harm. Except for this Uncle Charlie of yours he seems to be on your side, examine the toy there might be more to it than you think. I'm sorry I can't think of a way to change peoples mind other than what we're doing. People are stubborn Al, they always think they're right and it takes a lot for them to admit that they're not. I think you should talk to those too Ravenclaw cousins of yours Vic and Dom. See if we can't get my original idea to work, use Vic to influence everyone else. Don't push it. Not long till we go back. We can publish another pamphlet and we can start trying to change the world! Just kidding, a bit.  
><strong>__**Son  
><strong>__**P.S. Why are we using our codenames?  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em>Son,<em>

_You will not believe this. It turns out you were right, again. Uncle Charlie's present was much more than a toy. I put it on my bedside table, just because I did and then when James came sneaking into my room in the middle of the night, I was asleep, to prank me and it breathed a great jet of fire at his face. He's not hurt or anything but he yelled the house down. It was so funny! It seems Uncle Charlie, despite being in Romania is much more clued up on things in Hogwarts, it's obviously to protect me in the night. I've already written to him and asked if he could send one over for you. You can turn it off when you're at home as well so it won't burn your parents but it's so cool! Anyway. I can't believe you got a Skyliner too! Shame they'd never put us on the house team next year. I won't tell you how I take the pictures 'cause you'll put a stop to it and I frankly need to have something that contains laughing people. Sounds creepy I know. I still can't believe you gave me the snitch even if you won it, wow we must really like each other. I agree Serpent and Son does have a good ring to it. Maybe we should ditch the Italian. Don't worry about the causing harm thing I think if I actually did fall off my broom they'd be quite worried. I'm going to talk to Vic and Dom tomorrow. I like your idea of changing the world. Can't wait to go back to school. Wow never thought I'd say that.  
><em>_Serpent  
><em>_P.S. Because they're cool_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Serpent,<strong>_

_**That has got to be the most awesome Christmas present ever! A toy dragon that shoots fire at intruders. That'll stop people dragging us out of bed in the middle of the night and beating the crap out of us. Thanks for writing to get me one. I told me father about it and he laughed and laughed. I think that serves James right though, after everything he's been doing to you. He deserves that. I think that if we can make a good year, change things in Slytherin we might make it onto the house team. I've been speaking to my dad, he reckons most of the Slytherins will eventually will figure out it's us pretty soon by process of elimination, they've had three months. Oh please tell me how you take the photos I promise I won't make you stop. It honestly doesn't sound creepy to me, I have stacks of albums that I look through whenever I get sad, that's been added to the top. When you talk to Vic and Dom make sure that Louis isn't there won't you because you won't get anywhere if he is. Don't say anything stupid and make a hash of it like you did with Rose, don't lose your temper. I can't wait for school either.  
><strong>__**Son  
><strong>__**P.S. Why aren't we using the Italian?**_

* * *

><p><em>Son,<em>

_I got a reply from Uncle Charlie and he's spoken to some people in Romania, they should have sent one over in time for school. I completely agree with you on that, no more night time poundings, though they were getting more infrequent, still it'll be nice to sleep and feel safe. James hasn't bothered me anymore though that might have a lot to do with the fact he is now locked in his room. Dad is very angry about what happened at the Quidditch game. This means I've had a little bit of time to talk to Lily. I say talk I actually mean just be around her without James muttering things in her ear. For example this morning we went out and played Quidditch with the new Quaffle I bought her and she actually thanked me without being prompted by Mum. I'd say that's a pretty big step, right? I also talked to Vic and Dom and it went really well. First they apologised, it seems that we really hit off with something with the pamphlets. Then they started telling me about how people in Ravenclaw have been re-reading them. They said they were sorry a fair few times. I asked them about Rose and they got a bit shifty. I didn't press the subject, any thoughts? I asked about what I could for the rest of the family and Vic promised to talk to Teddy and that they'd both speak to Louis. I haven't spoken to Teddy in ages, he didn't give me a Christmas present I just realised, he couldn't be at the dinner but James and the rest have got them in the post. Then again his parents were killed by death eaters. Oh it's so unfair. __No can't wallow I was doing so well. Counting down the days till we get back on the train.  
><em>_Serpent  
><em>_P.S. Because the English sound better like this. _

* * *

><p><em><strong>Serpent,<strong>_

_**Great! So when term starts we'll have innocent looking toys on our bedside tables that will fool everyone. This is why we're in Slytherin. Seems like James is really getting his comeuppance. I'd be careful though, when we get back to Hogwarts he'll be out for revenge, people are like that. You're right Lily speaking to you is one thing but thanking you that's huge. You should be really pleased. I think somewhere along the line you must have got through to her. Excellent, having Vic and Dom on your side will help immensely. Not only will they be able to try and influence others but you aren't alone in your family anymore. You have more people to turn to, to back you up. Don't get upset about Teddy, he's just upset that you're in the house that produced the people that killed his parents, it must be confusing. As for Rose I have a theory but it's no more than that. I think Rose wants to be your, she's always wanted to be your friend but she's dreadfully scared of the consequences that will bring. In the end she's doing the selfish thing, the thing that's right for her, she doesn't want to loose her friends, or her fathers affections but she wants you back as a friend. She stuck in a little conundrum because it will be quite difficult for her if she associates with us. At the moment she's chosen what is most important to her; her father and well being liked, not being in the situation you are in. Rose isn't strong like you she can't cope with being an outsider but she's smart enough to know that. I hope that helps you understand what she's going through. See you soon.  
><strong>__**Son  
><strong>__**P.S. I'll take your word for it**_

* * *

><p><em>Son,<em>

_Writing this quickly before Mum makes me back my trunk. Dad has just given me his invisibility cloak! He says it's for whenever I need to get away from everything. It will cover us both so if it gets really bad we can sneak around under it. Also he told me about the Room of Requirement. It's on the seventh floor next opposite the tapestry of Barnabus th__**e **__Barmy trying to teach trolls the ballet. Basically it's a blank stretch of wall but the door to the room appears if we walk up and down three times and think of what we need. He said it's a useful place for the two of us to escape to if the bullying becomes too much. Your theory about Rose makes sense, I guess we'll just have to sit and wait it out. I'm really just writing to say thanks for helping me this holiday. I think I would have gone crazy if you hadn't have been helping me. Really thank you, Scorp, for everything.  
><em>_Serpent  
><em>_P.S. Finally you are listening to me_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Serpent,<strong>_

_**That is so cool, he gave you the cloak! You have to show me that tomorrow! Oh the possibilities of things we could do now. And the room too, that could be very useful! Especially for the pamphlets. You don't need to thank me for anything Al, you're my friend you'd help me. Gosh these letters are getting kind of sappy.  
><strong>__**See you tomorrow on the train.  
><strong>__**Son  
><strong>__**P.S. Ha Ha**_


	9. Remus and James

Remus and James

James sank back into his seat a look of complete shock on his face. It hadn't worked! He had been assured by Sirius that this would work! Hell he'd even seen Sirius do it in front of his very eyes! He groaned and rubbed his eyes. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't she just say yes?

James spun in his seat to face the only other person in the compartment. Remus was sitting across from him a smug grin plastered on his face. James could tell, by the way he kept pressing his lips together, that he wanted very much to burst into laughter at James' misfortune but was kinder than that, thank god Sirius wasn't here. His eyes glinted and almost eclipsed the tiredness that usually emanated from them at this time of the month, especially. Remus unfolded his arms as he continued to look at James who huffed and pouted and flounced off to the train window.

"Well I won't say I told you so." said Remus in a self satisfied voice. James huffed again. Remus rolled his eyes and stood up.

"When are you going to stop taking Sirius' advise on this?" he asked. James turned. "Look I know he's your best friend-"  
>"We're all best friends." Remus rolled his eyes again.<br>"Don't put me on an intelligence par with Wormtail, it's quite insulting, he might believe that but you two are closer and that's cool." James bit his lip. "Sirius is going to be the best man at the wedding and the god father to your kids and I get, I'm just glad to have you guys at all but if you want to have those things I suggest you listen to me because out of all of you I'm the only one who knows Lily." James opened his mouth to say something about the whole Sirius thing but then he realised what Remus was saying was true. Lily had started out hating all four of them but he now realised that she talked to Remus, called him by his first name.

"Are friends with her?"  
>"Yeah I'd say so."<br>"Seriously and you didn't tell me this."  
>"Actually I did but you only listen to Sirius on this, and while he does have a great success rate with most of the ladies, Lily isn't most of the ladies."<br>"How do you know this?"  
>"I spent two years doing prefect rounds with her. I know her very well. She moans about you a lot asks me to get you stop and I tell her I try but no go." James gaped at Remus with an open mouth. How could he have been so stupid? One of his best friends had been friends with Lily for the past two years and he hadn't listened. Well Remus was right, he did only listen to Sirius on matters like this because Remus had zero experience. God Lily could have been his ages ago.<p>

"What do I do?"  
>"You're listening to me?"<br>"Yes, you're her friend, you know her, I might have a chance. I can't believe I ignored it before." Remus rolled his eyes. "So what do I do?"  
>"Okay firstly ignore all of Sirius' advise. It will only get you hexed."<br>"All of it?"  
>"All of it, trust me, she rants about it all the time."<br>"Okay. Next."  
>"Don't ask her out every time you see her."<br>"What?"  
>"Are you going to question everything I say?"<br>"No sorry."  
>"No big public gestures, she likes small, romantic."<br>"Okay?"  
>"I mean if you want to send her a love note don't send her one that sings like a Howler in front of the great hall."<br>"Right got it."  
>"Okay this is gonna be hard."<br>"What?"  
>"You're going to have to change."<br>"What's wrong with the way I dress?"  
>"What? Nothing. I don't mean change in that sense. I mean change the way you are." James' face fell. "She really means it when she says she thinks you're a prat James."<br>"What do I do?"  
>"Well you're Head Boy for a reason. It's the perfect opportunity to become friends with Lily, you share a dorm, and prove you don't just think about yourself."<br>"So this why I'm Head Boy, so I can be with Lily. I love Dumbledore."  
>"No you love Lily and no the point of you being Head Boy is so that your head gets deflated and you start shouldering responsibility."<br>"Who told you that?"  
>"No one I just know."<br>"Right. So how do I prove that have all those things you mentioned above?"  
>"Well firstly you have to stop hexing random people."<br>"But it's fun."  
>"James you are aware that the Slytherinns do it too, for fun."<br>"There's a difference."  
>"Really, Lily can't see it." James' mouth dropped open.<br>"She thinks I'm a bad as them."  
>"Well not quite as bad you don't use curses but you're not far off."<br>"She told you all this."  
>"Yep. She thinks I'm the best."<br>"Well you are you're our moral compass."  
>"Your faulty moral compass." James smirked.<br>"So I have to stop having fun."  
>"No I'm not saying that. The 'anonymous' pranks are fine. I think she secretly thinks they're quite clever but hurting and humiliating people for fun, that disgusts her." James nodded.<br>"What about Sirius though?"  
>"What about him, just because you stop doesn't mean he has to. He probably will and he'll tell you not to take my advise seeing as I've never kissed a girl but trust me on this James I know Lily you don't."<p>

"How come?"  
>"How come what?"<br>"How come you've never had a girlfriend?"  
>"Because I'm gay! Why do you think James?" James frowned<br>"You're gay?"  
>"No I'm a werewolf."<br>"Oh yeah."  
>"Can't believe you forget."<br>"I don't forget I just forget that people won't always react like we did and you worry about that."  
>"Yeah." Remus looked almost wistful. "I just get used to it though. I'm never going to have that life, with a family and stuff. I can't I'm too dangerous and there's always a chance that the child could turn out like me."<br>"So you're saying you're never going to have a girlfriend, ever."  
>"I can't, no matter how much I may want to. Besides there won't be anybody who would want to go out with me knowing what I am."<br>"You don't know that."  
>"I do James, I'm a monster."<br>"A monster with three best friends who like him just the way he is."  
>"It's different."<br>"Really?"  
>"Definitely."<br>"I disagree."  
>"You live in a fairytale. You're going to get your happy ending and I'm going to be the pauper."<br>"Pauper?"  
>"I can hide my condition from everyone at Hogwarts but I cannot hide it from my future employers. No one will even consider hiring me once they know what I am."<br>"We'll help you, me and Sirius, when we're the two best aurors."  
>"Yeah maybe but that's another thing people think all werewolves are evil but if anyone actually took their time they'd realise that most of us have as much cause to hate the death eaters as the rest, they cursed us." James nodded.<p>

"Come on." he said. "Sirius'll be wondering where we are." Remus pushed himself up from his leaning position. It was strange having this conversation with James, he was very thoughtful when he wanted to be, much more so than Sirius.

"Look about the thing with Sirius." said James, a hint of guilt trespassing onto his usually arrogant tone.  
>"It doesn't matter, I'm the monster." he said this with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.<br>"You're not a monster, when I have kids with Lily, you'll be just as important to them as Sirius." Remus smiled and inclined his head in a way of thanks.  
>"That's great and I'm flattered but first we have to get you with Lily."<p>

They began their walk back to their compartment which was situated at the end of the train, as far from the prefect carriage as possible. Most people cleared out of the way as they came down either out of respect for their rule breaking or out of fear of being hexed. James' fingers itched to go to his wand and use that levicorpus spell they'd nicked of Snivellus on a couple of spotty Hufflepuff fourth years but Remus seemed to have sensed his desire and shook his head. It was clear that Remus was determined for this to happen and for James to get Lily this year. Remus was incredibly devoted to his friends.

When they were nearly at their compartment they found a large crowd blocking their progress. Remus, who was taller than James, peered over the heads of the crowd to look at the fuss.

"What's going on?"  
>"Wannabes." he said. James rolled his eyes, their were always people trying to be like them by copying what they did, their pranks, their outfits, their hexes.<br>"What are they doing?"  
>"Hexing second years."<br>"Oh." said James.  
>"It looks like your time to shine." said Remus.<br>"What?" said James.  
>"Look here comes Lily, time to prove you can be responsible." James turned and sure enough he saw the red haired, green eyed love his life stalking down the carriage way. Before he could stare too long he was given a shove in the back by Remus and he stumbled through the crowd and into the centre. The Grryfindors who he recognised as 5th years immediately stopped and sprung to attention, clearly waiting for his verdict. Normal procedure was for James to tell them to a. be more original, b. how to improve the spell and then demonstrate or c. congratulate them, c didn't happen very often. James looked around the circle at everyone's eager faces. He could see the expectant looks on the 5th years faces. Remus was looking on in anticipation, willing him to do the right thing. Lily just looked disgusted but she couldn't push her way through. James had a heart stopping moment, when he weighed up the options in his mind. He could feel his wand in his hand, he didn't remember drawing it, begging him to cast one little hex. The choice was his alone.<p>

In a swift movement he lowered his wand and pulled the second years to their feet. With a quick wave he performed the counter jinxes to remove the ill effects. They both looked up at James in shock and then scampered away. His eyes met Remus' and he saw him smiling widely, he'd done the right thing. Lily looked dumbfounded, as did the rest of the crowd. The two 5th years were slowly trying to slink away but James caught them by the back of their robes.

"I think 1 hour of detention for both of you, this weekend, with Professor McGonagall." Both boys exchanged horrified looks.  
>"How can you punish them?" it was Lily, she was striding forward into the circle a blazing look in her eyes.<br>"Excuse me?"  
>"How can you punish them?" James frowned.<br>"Are you saying you wouldn't punish them?"  
>"No how can <em>you<em>, Potter, _you_, punish, them. How many times have you done that? You hypocrite" James looked around at all the nodding people in the circle, feeling overpowered and out of his depth for the first time. He looked at Remus, begging him for help. Remus stepped forward into the middle of the circle as Lily continued her tirade of a abuse.  
>"If you got detention for every time you did this you'd be in detention for the rest of your life!"<br>"Lily." Lily continued to glare angrily at James but she did acknowledge Remus' presence. "Lily, James has to do this now doesn't he. I mean he's head boy. He has responsibilities. What would you say if he just stood back and did nothing?" Lily paused and thought for a moment. "You'd say he was shrinking his responsibilities, you'd say he didn't deserve the badge." Lily nodded along with what he was saying. "Look either way he can't win, if he does something he's a hypocrite, he if he doesn't do anything he's a disgrace. At least he's trying to do the right thing. He's trying to change and be a better person. Pretty soon now we're gonna be out of Hogwarts and we'll have the war on our hands and unless us people stand together now there's no hope at all." Lily nodded  
>"Alright, Potter, you punish them as you see fit. Remus I'll see you around, and I hope you're right." she added in an undertone to Remus, he just winked. James released the 5th years.<br>"Saturday, Professor McGonagall's office, 6 pm." and then he walked off next to Remus.

When they'd gone a way so that the most of the people here were unaware of what had gone on James exhaled a large breath.  
>"Thanks Moony. I really thought I was screwed."<br>"Not a problem, Prongs." he said.  
>"Do you think Lily bought it?" Remus chewed his lip for a moment.<br>"I don't know, your actions and my explanations as certainly opened a doorway in her mind. Let's just keep a foot in it, eh?"  
>"Yeah." They walked a little bit further in silence. "What was all that about the war?" Remus shrugged.<br>"I know Lily, she'll fight, she's muggle born, and we'll fight. We'll be on the same side but we're not united, we need to be, to win."  
>"You really sound like Dumbledore." Remus shrugged.<br>"I'll take that as a compliment." James snorted and soon they were both laughing.

"Finally!" said Sirius, when James and Remus collapsed into their seats. "We were beginning to think you'd forgotten the way here."  
>"It's a train Padfoot." said James in a derisive tone. "How could I possibly get lost."<br>"You could be on your own and see Lily." Remus suggested. The three other boys fell about laughing whilst James scowled.  
>"Did it work?" asked Peter as he opened as chocolate frog.<br>"Nah." said James, sweeping back his hair. "But I got a better plan."  
>"What?" cried Sirius. "How could it not have worked?"<br>"Because Lily isn't a slut." said Remus fishing in a box of bertie botts every flavour beans. Sirius threw a chocolate frog card at his head but he ducked and it went out of the open window. "What it's true, you date sluts."  
>"Moony is right. You're a player and all the girls you sleep with are sluts and Lily isn't like that." Sirius stretched back in his seat luxuriously.<br>"Well I have to admit I am the most good looking."  
>"I dunno mate a lot of people like Prongs, he is Quidditch captain."<br>"And I'm beater, big difference.""Yeah there is a big difference."  
>"And I've heard a load of crazy rumours about Moony's scars. A lot of the girls think they're sexy." Sirius snorted.<br>"Yeah but the day Moony dates is the day the world ends." James looked at Remus who carefully shook his head from side to side. He didn't want to tell Sirius the reason he didn't date and James couldn't blame him, Sirius would just emit his bark like laugh and call him a sissy. Sirius always liked the risk and he would never respect Remus' reasons, he never took things seriously enough.

"So what is your plan?" James licked his lips nervously and looked at Remus. Remus gave him a look that said go on.  
>"I won't ask her out every time I see her because she hates that, I stop following your advice because it'll get me hexed, I stop hexing people and I start being a responsible head boy." Sirius looked at him, incredulously, Peter had his mouth open.<br>"Wormtail close your mouth, it's disgusting." Peter shut it instantly on James' command.  
>"Whose plan was that?"<br>"Mine." said Remus.  
>"I should have guessed, it's the stupidest plan I've ever heard."<br>"No it's not, it's already working."  
>"What?"<br>"Lily said, and I quote, 'I hope you're right' after I said that you were changing for the better."  
>"Seriously."<br>"Yep." James punched the air.  
>"So wait we're going to stop having fun is that it? We're all going to study and be boring like you." Remus frowned at Sirius. His voice had taken a decidedly bitter tone.<br>"I'm not saying that, James has to stop that, you can hex to your hearts content but James may have to punish you."  
>"You wouldn't do that."<br>"Actually I would. I'm sorry Sirius but if any of you hexed someone and I caught you I'd have punish you." Then he winked and both Remus and James laughed.  
>"Do you two plan on letting us in on the joke anytime soon?" asked Sirius, his voice still bitter.<br>"Oh if I did catch you you'd get detention with Hagrid, we planned this on the way back here, Hagrid has a soft spot for us so nothing will be too hard. Full moon will be the same as ever except we'll have to be careful with prefect shifts. Nothing has to change that much."  
>"What about the pranks?"<br>"Their 'anonymous' and I have it on _very_ _good_ information that Lily finds them secretly amusing." He and Remus smirked again.  
>"And the part about ignoring all my advice?"<br>"Yeah well no offence Padfoot but your advice has been pretty rubbish. I mean I have been following it for six years and it's got me nowhere." Sirius scowled.

"So you're just ditching me?"  
>"Ditching-what? Look I'm just trying a different approach, Moony knows Lily. They're friends. It can't hurt."<br>"You're not friends with Evans." Remus rolled his eyes.  
>"For the last time, I've done two years worth of prefect rounds with her."<br>"And you didn't tell us?"  
>"Well I did but up until now you both decided that taking my advice would be laughable because as you put it 'The day I date is the day the earth ends'. But for your information Sirius I choose not to date. Some people might not <em>want <em>to be intimately involved with someone else." Peter's mouth was hanging open again but this time James didn't tell him to close it. He could sense a row coming on.

"Guys calm down. Sirius what has gotten into you? You have to admit that this is the best plan. I should have thought about it ages ago. I always said that Lily was special but I continued to try and get her like she was anybody else. Lily doesn't like me because well sometimes I'm arrogant and I'm a prat. I have to show her I care, I'm human."  
>"But I'm your best mate."<br>"And? What has this got to do with me dating Lily."  
>"Your supposed to side with me!"<br>"This isn't about taking sides!" James wasn't even aware of the fact he was shouting. "Moony is giving me some good advice and I'm choosing to take it. That doesn't stop you from being my best mate! It just means that on this one topic I won't listen to you anymore. This doesn't effect you at all. This has nothing to do with you." Sirius got to his feet very suddenly, glaring down at both James and Remus  
>"And I thought we were brothers." he said quietly before leaving.<p>

There was complete silence in the compartment. James, Remus and Peter sat there in shock not quite prepared to admit that the Marauders had experienced their first row. James slid down into his seat, unsure how things had escalated to that level. Remus buried a head in his hand, this was all his fault. All his fault. Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut? But he'd had to help James because James and the rest had helped him so many times. He sat up. That was it!  
>"Moony where are you going?" asked James as he crossed to the door.<br>"To sort out the mess I made." and with that he was gone running down the train looking in the compartment windows for Sirius.

"Lily! Hey Lily!" he called, spotting her red hair part way down the middle. She turned and smiled at him.  
>"Remus."<br>"Have you seen Pa- I mean Sirius." he corrected himself quickly.  
>"What? Oh yeah I saw Black he's with Frank, Alice and Marlene two carriages down, third compartment. Is everything okay because he looked pissed and you look ill." Remus laughed.<br>"I always look ill, but everything will be fine, trust me!" he had a large grin on his face and with that he sprinted round Lily and off again.

Frank Longbottom, Alice Prewett, Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black were sitting in the third compartment somewhere in the middle of the Hogwarts express. They were playing exploding snap with a pack of very old cards and Frank, Alice and Marlene were keeping a wary eye on Sirius because he was in an awful mood. They had no idea what had happened but they were temporarily very relieved when Remus yanked open their compartment door.  
>"Sirius!" he panted. Sirius' face darkened and the relief vanished, they'd fallen out? They never fell out.<br>"Piss off, Lupin."  
>"I need to talk to you."<br>"I don't want to talk to you."  
>"It's about James," and with that he shut the door again. Sirius deliberated for a second before getting up and leaving.<p>

"What?" he asked shortly.  
>"Look I don't want to hurt the friendship between you and James, because I know that's what you think I'm trying to do but I swear it's not. Think about it Sirius, think about what you have hanging over my head. I'd mad to try and destroy your friendship. It's just you helped me beyond anything when you became animagi and I've never repaid the favour. Now I don't know how to repay you, or Peter but I do know how to repay James; get him with Lily." There was a pause in which Sirius seemed to mull all this over, chewing his lip.<br>"You're honestly just trying to help."  
>"Yeah." Sirius leant back against the wall, running a hand through his long hair.<br>"What's up with James?"  
>"I think he's cross with you but he'll forgive you, easily." Sirius pushed himself off the wall and the two walked back towards their compartment in silence, Remus was smiling on the inside though that he had once again helped his friends, was repaying his debt.<p>

The train pulled to a stop at Hogsmeade with the faintest jolt. There was the usual bustle as people checked they had put everything back and that their pets were securely fastened in their cages. The door of the last compartment was flung open and out bounded a boy with long shaggy brown hair. He leapt towards the exit with the energy of a child followed closely by a small plump boy who scurried along ducking away from those taller than him. The two people left in the compartment were a boy with black messy hair and glasses that framed eyes a light with laughter, next to him was a boy with dark shadows under his eyes.  
>"Hey Moony, thanks."<br>"For what?"  
>"Fixing things with Padfoot, of course." he said as they climbed off the train. "We'd never have done it if you hadn't have." The boy entitled Moony allowed himself a smirk.<br>"Why Prongs, I do believe you have grown quite sentimental." There was a half second pause when the boy, Prongs, looked offended then they both burst out laughing.


	10. Charlie and Al

_**Dear Readers,  
>Quick note. This is part of the Slytherin!Al and Scorpius and Ravenclaw!Rose canon. I'm sort of running two of them simulataneously but in the other those three are all Gryffindor and Al suffers a serious injury.<br>Enjoy!  
>Sopphires. <strong>_

* * *

><p>Charlie and Al<p>

Al got to his feet, champagne flute in hand.

"I am honoured." he began. "To stand here today as the best man of my best mate and my favourite cousins wedding, sorry the rest of you but Rosie's my favourite cousin no doubt about it." This earned him some laughs and a lot of smiles. "She's also another of my best friends and somehow, despite the fact Rose spent six years ignoring him, I wasn't surprised when I opened that broom cupboard to fetch my broom and found them snogging." This got Al a lot of laughs, in fact James and Fred, who were tipsy went into drunken hysterics. "I guess what I am trying to say is that no matter what people say about you being a Malfoy and a Weasley or you being only 19 or that you have only actually been speaking for two years, I'm behind you all the way, I have been and I always will be." Rose had tears in her eyes and Scorpius was beaming at him, clutching Rose's hand. "A toast then to Rose and Scorpius who are, in my opinion, the epitome of love." Everyone raised their glasses and said  
>"Rose and Scorpius." Al smiled, it was over, his time in the spotlight was done, no one would care about him anymore.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie Weasley watched the dancing with a smile. He was the only one of Molly Weasley seven children to not settle down and start a family and for that reason he was ever so slightly the black sheep of the family, not that he really minded of course. He didn't see much of his family, preferring to stay with the dragons in Romania so when he did come back no one was so bothered that he hadn't married or even got himself a steady girlfriend, they were just glad to see him. However there were times when it was glaringly obvious that mum wanted him to have kids, bit late now was all he could say, and it was his own god daughter was married and pregnant. Besides he was a middle aged man now he was going to end up alone, or that's what mum fretted. See what mum failed to understand was that he wasn't alone, he absolutely could not be alone.<p>

In many ways this was why he was so drawn to Al, after he had been sorted into Slytherin Charlie had known the poor kid would have a hard time. Anyone with half a brain could guess the Slytherins wouldn't like him and he hadn't thought people like James would like it either. It turned out he had been right, everyone had heard about the James hitting Al incident from Rose. The thing Charlie hadn't banked on him doing so well was making a friend. Charlie knew how important just one friend could be, you have one on your side and the rest start to follow. In Al's case his friend had been the smart, out cast son of ex-death eater Draco Malfoy, Scorpius. Scorpius had been just what Al needed, the whole pamphlet thing, all his idea. He realised that this Scorpius had dealt with this sort of thing a lot before and could help Al and he obviously was because there were no tales of Al losing it at the provocation. Yet Charlie kept a close eye on his nephew. He felt a strong bond towards him, he felt like he understood best what he was going through and as he watched him slip from the tent erected in the back garden he felt now would be a good time to exercise that bond.

* * *

><p>Al was standing outside staring off into the garden. Charlie approached him cautiously well aware that he did not want to startle him.<p>

"Al." he said placing a hand on his shoulder. The younger boy turned and smiled at his uncle, but Charlie knew it was forced, fake.  
>"Hey Uncle Charlie. How's it going? I needed some air." Charlie nodded.<br>"Me too, Ron's got drunk though, he seems to be trying to forget the fact that his daughter is now a Malfoy."  
>"Rose Malfoy, interesting ring to it." he said. His voice was completely expressionless.<p>

"Look Al what's up?"  
>"What? Nothing's up."<br>"Really, because with the exception of the time's when you've been at his shoulder I haven't seen you." Al bit his lip. He swallowed, looking out into the distance.  
>"What are you implying?"<br>"I think we both know _exactly _what I'm implying." Al looked at his Uncle in mild surprise.  
>"You too?"<br>"Dragons are fascinating but they're not _that_ interesting." Al nodded.  
>"I guess. After all, Uncle Bill prised himself from the tombs." Charlie smiled and nodded. "So do you actually have one?" his question remained vague and he asked it in an uncertain, halting manner.<br>"Yeah, actually but I don't have the guts."  
>"Seriously. You got a… a… a…"<br>"Are sure you're gay, Al? You can't even say the word boyfriend." He had expected him to brush it off but instead Al sighed.  
>"I don't know. It's only ever been him. Him for, four years. You know I've never kissed anyone, not even by mistake."<br>"That's rough."  
>"Yeah but it gets worse doesn't it. He falls for my cousin and we all know how the story ends."<p>

"Did you ever tell him?"  
>"What?"<br>"Tell him, tell Scorp, how you felt?"  
>"No, he made it very clear in fourth year that he was into girls. In fourth year, when I was starting to question who I was, starting to realise I liked my best friend way more than I should and all. There didn't seem to be any point risking what we had for my crush."<br>"You're going to bottle all that up for the rest of your life?"  
>"Yep."<br>"Okay, when you next have leave you are coming to Romania and me and my mates are taking you out."  
>"What?"<br>"Al, you need to get over this and you need to get over this sooner rather than later. The longer you hold onto your feelings for Scorp the harder it will be for you to maintain your relationship with him, and Rose."  
>"So what are you saying?"<br>"You need to get out and date. Need to find a guy who is into you and everything and that you love as much as Scorp."  
>"But no one knows I'm gay."<br>"I think we're going to have to change that."  
>"What? You have to be kidding me!"<br>"No I'm not, I'm not going to let you make my mistakes. I was so afraid of what my family would say if they found out that I was gay, that I dated girls and everything. When I was in Romania, I was free to be whoever I wanted, no one cared. I could date openly and one day, this is after the war ended this guy came from England, he'd lost everything and I fell in love with him."  
>"The war ended about 30 years ago."<br>"I know, that's the point."  
>"You've been in a relationship for 30 years and you never said anything!"<br>"Oh no, hell no! More like 15."  
>"15!"<br>"Yeah."  
>"But that's long enough to be married." Charlie's face darkened all of a sudden.<br>"Same sex marriages are illegal in Romania."  
>"Oh but you've been dating the guy for 15 years! How come we never met him?"<br>"Because he won't come back to England. He ran from his past and he can't face up to it, not everyone can."  
>"Is that why it took you 15 years to get with him?"<br>"Basically, and mum was trying to marry me off."  
>"That must have been awkward."<br>"To bloody right it was."  
>"So what happened?"<p>

"We were out, in a pub and then I realised that it had been 15 years exactly since he had come to Romania so I got up and said 'I understand you probably don't want to be reminded of what happened 15 years ago that made you flee here but I want to celebrate because 15 years ago today is the day I fell in love, with you.' and then everyone was quiet and it was like I'd made some awful mistake and I couldn't read the expression on his face and then he said very quietly  
>'And when I fell in love with you.' Then I leant down and kissed him and we started dating." There was a pause then Charlie said "But don't get any ideas he's happily married to our Rosie and that's the way it should stay." Al nodded.<br>"Of course. He's my best friend and I love him, I'd never hurt him like that."  
>"Good for you but I think this might be as good a time as any to announce to the family that you're gay."<br>"What? No this is Scorp's big day, I can't hijack it." Charlie raised an eyebrow at him.  
>"Right. Can you tell me when the next family gathering like this will be?" there was a pause. Al knew that his family would re disperse around the world, they wouldn't all be back together for god knows when. Well probably around the time Vic gave birth but even then they may not all be together.<p>

"I just can't. What if they reject me?"  
>"Albus Severus, listen to me." Al noted the use of his full name. "You were a Slytherin, but you are a good wizard. You're the best in your class at auror training and everyone knows that it has absolutely nothing to do with your father. You came through school with glowing reports from all your teachers and exceptional exam results. But it's not just that, you did something even better. You came through school with friends from <em>all <em>the houses. You got on with everyone when they gave you the chance. They misjudged you once and they paid for their mistake, I don't think that's going to happen again."

"You really think I should do this."  
>"Al you're going to regret not telling them for the rest of your life. You have to, okay, your dad showed long ago that he would love you no matter what. It's the same with your best friend. Same with me and Bill. There have been so many occasions when I have almost told your Uncle Bill that I'm gay but I lost my nerve at the last second, or we've been interrupted. I can't let you make the mistakes I've made Al, I can't. Just say it. It's two word; I'm gay. That's all you need to do. They can deal with it, that's their problem but you need to get it off your chest." Al tilted his head to the side as if considering the possibility.<p>

"Will it help, will it help in here?" he indicated to his chest. Charlie sighed.  
>"I don't know. A little, probably, it'll definitely take some of the weight your shoulders. You shouldn't have to hide who you are Al, you found that out long ago. You found that out when you were 11 and you proud to be Slytherin, the Proud Serpent. It's exactly the same." Al looked up at his Uncle, fear in his eyes but also a little bit of gratitude.<p>

"Is that why you were on my side from the start? When I was sorted into Slytherin, you didn't turn against me. You looked after me."  
>"Of course I did, it didn't take a genius to work out they wouldn't like you. But yes it's why I was on your side. I know what it's like to be on the outside of the family. Everyone asking me when I'm going to get married and all I want to do is tell them all about him. Tell them I'm in love, tell them I've met the most wonderful man, tell them that, essentially, I am married." Al's eyes never left his face as he spoke. He listened carefully, understanding that this is what could happen to him.<p>

"What's his name?"  
>"Patrick." Al smiled, it was sad though.<br>"I think maybe next time I am on leave I will go and meet him." Charlie clapped him on the shoulder.  
>"I think that is a wonderful idea, and like I said I can introduce you to some of my friends and we can take you out. Loosen you up a bit." Al smiled again.<p>

"Do I still have to tell them?"  
>"I don't want to force you into anything but I think it's the right thing to do if you're sure it's who you are, and it sounds like, despite you've never actually dated, you are sure. You've been sure for four years. Do you know who you are?" Al nodded. His throat was stuck. "Are sure about who you are because I don't want to out you."<br>"It sounds like you're back pedalling, why?"  
>"I just want to be careful."<br>"I think I should do it before I lose my nerve. I'm not a Gryffindor, I'm not exactly brave."  
>"I'm a Gryffindor and I've never done it, this is nothing to do with school houses. It's the good thing about living abroad. You start to see how irrelevant sorting is. They didn't sort their students at the school in Romania, there's no 'good' house or 'bad' house. It's all about preconception. What you think of the house before you go into it and what you're told about the characteristics of the people in the house that make us like our houses. Then again I think you know a lot more about that than I do." Al nodded.<br>"People trying to fit themselves into a mould, they're told that Ravenclaws are smart so when they go into Ravenclaw they all feel the need to study to prove it, Hufflepuffs are supposed to be kind so they need to prove they are kind. It's only when people try to be squares instead of circles that the walls come down and you realise that they're not that different." Charlie nodded.  
>"You're wasted as an auror." Al laughed.<br>"That's all Scorp, it's going into his book."  
>"Ah." Silence fell between them as conversation brought them back round in a circle. Back to Scorp, and being gay and coming out to his family.<p>

"Uncle Charlie, just say that they don't accept me. What will I do then?"  
>"You'll do what you did before, you win them back by showing them that you are exactly the same person as before and I'll help you. I'll be right behind you."<br>"You live in Romania."  
>"I think I could probably take a bit of leave."<br>"Wouldn't Patrick mind?"  
>"No, especially if I explained why. We have to stick together." Al nodded and smiled again.<br>"Okay." he said taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."

* * *

><p>The tent was still full of dancing couples when they re-entered. It was quite clear that nobody had missed either of them, all quite transfixed with the newlywed couple who were slow dancing in the centre their heads resting on each others shoulders, arms wrapped around each other in a loving embrace. Al gazed at Scorp as he held his cousin close. He watched as his white blonde hair sparkled in the lights, his pale features were delicately flushed, his red lips were slightly parted in contentment. Al sighed and looked down, averting his gaze from it. It killed him. Charlie placed a hand on his shoulder and Al cautiously looked back up at him.<p>

In many ways Al didn't look 19. He didn't look as old as his father had when he had turned 19, but then Al hadn't really had that life. Hogwarts had been hard but nowhere near that hard. He didn't even look as old as Scorpius, but then Scorpius had always seemed so much older than Al. He'd always had so much more experience, he'd always been there for Al to lean on because he'd faced so many hardships, he understood. Scorpius who fought for everything he had, had become the person Al would reach out to when he had problems, and generally he'd solved them. Then again what was Al to do when the person who solved his problems was the root of his problems? Al always looked for others to help him, he knew when he was beat, when he needed help, a rare gift among people to be able to shelve pride but as a result he was so vulnerable. He hadn't grown up, not really. His family and Scorp had solved his problems for him. Now that the barriers were down and Charlie was looking into his expressive green eyes he could see that Al was very much a little boy inside. He'd made his one big decision, not mentioning it and stuck by that.

Gently he steered Al towards the dancing couple. Al looked horrified at the thought of interrupting Scorp and Rose but Charlie stared him down. People parted and looked at them curiously, were they going to start dancing? Charlie reached out and touched Scorpius' shoulder. He looked up and, with a half smile, extended Rose to her Uncle. Charlie shook his head and bent forward to whispered to him. Scorpius and Rose's, she had heard too, eyes slid to Al and raised their eyebrows slightly. However they both nodded and smiled.

The entire tent had fallen silent when Al found himself standing alone in the centre of the dance floor. Both Scorp and Rose were standing closest to him on his right and Charlie a little further away on his left. The rest of his family and friends were ranged in front of him. Al found his throat had closed up. It was dry and he was unable to swallow. Unable to even to croak. Everyone was staring at him. The expectation was palpable. There were shared curious, and slightly impatient looks at him. He felt something being pushed against him. Tearing his eyes around he found that Uncle Charlie was forcing another champagne glass into his hand. Al accepted it with a silent thanks, the unwavering support in his Uncle's eyes made him feel good inside.

He downed the glass quickly, it wetted his throat and he felt better, able to speak. The extra buzz of alcohol in his system gave him an extra spark of confidence.

"Umm." he said. Not quite the start he wanted. Everyone leant forward slightly, they were really hanging on his word. He searched each face. They all looked confused, curious and a little concerned. Would the concern stay? Would they once again only see him for the label that he bore and not who he was? Uncle Charlie didn't help, his lack of confidence was un-reassuring to say the least. However he did seem sure that Al's previous success at conquering peoples misconceptions would help him here.

"Al are you alright?" Scorp was stepping forward. Al's green eyes locked with his grey ones. There was a little apprehension in his eyes as he stepped towards him, like he was really worried about what could make his best friend so speechless, so nervous. There was also a sparkling warmth, this warmth was rarely seen when Al had first met him. It had been well hidden beneath his armour, behind his walls. However his friendship with Al, a friendship with Al in which Scorp was the calm head and Al was the humour, had quickly shown the warmth that he had buried deep inside him. Al could see the love in his eyes, the love that was, sadly, platonic. He cleared his throat.

"Fine." he said, though he didn't sound it. "I'm fine, I just need to tell you all something." Scorp nodded, blinking and stepping back. "I don't want to disrupt your wedding." he added, it wasn't an afterthought, it just hadn't occurred to him to say it straight away. "I just don't know when we'll all be together again." There was more nodding and whispers. He cleared his throat unsure of how to continue. He glanced at Uncle Charlie who was still staring at him, completely stead fast. Well he had one friend, wasn't that what Scorp had told him years ago. One and the rest would follow. He should say it, blurt out the two words. That would be the easiest way. Would they even understand if he spoke quickly? He breathed deeply. It was steadying. He focused like in auror training, calming, relaxing, in the midst of chaos.

"I'm gay." Al's eyes flew open; had he just said that? There was a silence in the tent that seemed to be even more silent. Everything was completely still, the confused muttering had ended. Then there was a weird choking sound, his head whipped round. It was Scorp. He was bright red in the face and somewhere between laughing and coughing. Al felt everything inside him plummet. Was Scorp going to reject him? Of all the people he had assumed Scorp would accept him but was this something that would not be okay? He tried to not feel the stinging in his eyes, or the lump in his throat. There were muffled giggles echoing elsewhere, was someone drunk or did they not believe him?

"Oh Al." it was Scorp he was standing straight, his cheeks flushed red, Rose's hand on his back. Al looked at him unsure what that meant. "Al." he said again glancing once round at the rest of his family who were all looking at him or each other with barely concealed smirks. "Al we know." Al felt dizzy, he was falling. This wasn't real. They couldn't know. He felt his head mechanically turn to Uncle Charlie who was looking at him in disbelief, too.

"You know."  
>"Yes, it was sort of obvious. You never dated any girls, you never showed any interest in them. It didn't take much of a leap to figure out that you swung the other way but were too afraid of the reaction to say anything." Al closed his eyes relief flooding over him. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe they had known. Not just they had known they had accepted. But… he felt his stomach drop Scorp would want to know why he hadn't told him.<p>

"Why didn't anyone say anything? Why'd you all leave it hanging over my head?"  
>"Well we none of us were entirely sure and we didn't want to force you. Plus I know." It took Al half a minute to register what Scorp had said. He heard the flute shatter on the floor. He turned on his heel, away from Scorp's eyes that hadn't changed, they were still full of warmth and friendship and… love. They hadn't judged him when he'd said that, hadn't judged him when he found out. He could feel the tears they were hot and incredibly unfamiliar. He had never been more ashamed.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie heard the buzz of noise inside the tent grow louder and louder. He saw Harry turn to go after Al but he went and stopped him. Placing a hand on his chest he shook his head, Al needed to be alone right now. Everyone else was looking at Scorp who was starting to realise that that wasn't the brightest thing to say on his wedding night. He looked put upon and flustered, unwilling to reveal Al's secret but also well aware that the Weasley's would do everything they could to get to the bottom. Well, Charlie thought, desperate times calls for desperate measures. He knew one sure fire way to turn the heat off Al.<p>

"Hmhm." All eyes diverted to Charlie who was standing in the centre of the dance floor. "I also have something I need to say." Everyone looked at him expectantly.  
>"Are you engaged?" someone shouted from the back.<br>"No, that's sort of the point. I'm gay, too." The silence was much more shocked after all Charlie had actually dated girls. "And if it weren't for the fact that gay marriage is not allowed in Romania I would be married." He smiled once at the shocked faces.  
>"Wait." said Bill. "Are you saying you're in a long term relationship with someone."<br>"Yes his name's Patrick I've known him for 30 years and dated him for 15." There was a thump. His mum had fainted. The rest of the tent however had erupted in cheers. He could hear calls of congratulations and well dones and finallys and he knows he shouldn't have worried. Bill stepped forward and shook his hand so vigorously that Charlie honestly thought that he was trying to wrench it from him. The words that Bill spoke were inconsequential, the silent conversation was the one that mattered. Bill understood why he had kept it a secret, he knew that Charlie had tried to tell him and he knew that Charlie had not wanted to tell them ever. Harry came to him but Charlie was already past him, he had known that he had wanted him to talk to Al and he wanted to talk to him too.

* * *

><p>"Al." Al was sitting a little way from the marquee. He was crying quite freely and quietly, though he wasn't 100% sure why. He looked up at his Uncle Charlie. He gave the burly, tanned, scared man a watery smile and wiped his eyes.<br>"Everyone speculating about what he knows and forcing the embarrassing truth out?" he asked. Charlie exhaled loudly through his nose as he sat down next to his nephew.  
>"No." Al turned to him in shock.<br>"What?"  
>"No I think I gave them quite a good diversion." Al frowned at him, unable to piece together what he was talking about. "I told them." Al gasped.<br>"You… you told them." Charlie nodded.  
>"They took it well, really well."<br>"You told them everything."  
>"Yeah, mum fainted but I think she'll come round, in both ways." Al smiled.<br>"You did that for me."  
>"Of course I did. That's not something you want everyone to find out about. My announcement was the only thing that could trump it on the scale of epic announcements." Al chuckled quietly.<br>"I can't believe you did that."  
>"Well I realised that they took you well, they accepted you. Stands to reason they'd accept me too, huh." Al nodded.<p>

"I can't believe they knew, that's so embarrassing."  
>"I can't believe it either. I can't believe no one brought it up. Then again I guess if you never dated a boy they might think that there was a chance that they were wrong. I guess only Scorpius knew the truth because of all the time he spent with you."<br>"Why didn't he tell me?"  
>"Maybe he only found out recently, when he was dating Rose. When he'd proposed, I mean. Maybe he just didn't want to have that conversation with you if you didn't want to have it with him. You'd made no inclination to come out the closet anytime soon, I guess he didn't want to force you out." Al could only keep nodding.<p>

"I don't know why I'm crying." he said finally.  
>"You're crying because embarrassed and ashamed that Scorpius knew your secret, but you shouldn't be. He loves just not in the way you love him." Al once more turned his head to his Uncle.<p>

"Is just me or were not always this wise." Charlie laughed.  
>"Only about this." Al couldn't help the grin that was stretching across his face.<br>"You were right though, I feel less put upon all of a sudden. I dunno like, I feel better now that they know.""Me too kid.""It still hurts, though. It hurts a lot. Maybe I will take you up on that offer of Romania, freedom." Charlie smiled.  
>"I'll drink to that any day."<p>

* * *

><p>The dragon keepers in Romania were famous for their good humour, their ability to hold a drink and their tolerance. It didn't matter if you were a man or a woman, or if you were from Romania or Japan, or if you gay or straight, as long as you shared their principals on creature caring in the day and were looking for a good time at night the dragon keepers were your friends.<p>

* * *

><p>Al pulled up his cloak as he walked the final stretch of the journey. He'd taken a Portkey to the nearest town; Zimti, apparated to the village in the mountains where the dragon keepers lived and he was now strolling along one of the streets trying to find Charlie's house. He had taken him up on his offer that he had made not long ago to visit him and really let loose, maybe try his hand at dating for the first time and despite the fact that he was still hurting, a part of him was really excited.<p>

"AL!" he looked and saw his Uncle silhouetted in the porch light at his house at the end of the street. Feeling much younger than 20, Al ran towards him and hugged him very tightly. Charlie gripped him back, his embrace strong but caring.

"Hey." said Al when he drew back.  
>"Hi, how's it going?"<br>"Good." he smiled, he could barely contain his joy at seeing his Uncle again. Writing to him was one thing, but seeing him was so much more.  
>"Come in, come in. Patrick just popped out, we ran out of milk." Al smiled.<p>

"Will anybody else in out family ever get to meet this boyfriend of yours?"  
>"Well seeing as you will be living with us for the next two months I would be highly disappointed if you don't." they laughed as he stepped across the threshold.<p>

Charlie's house was small and very cosy. It was all wood on the inside; wooden beams, floors, walls. The interior was open plan and all decorated very homely. Each fire place contained a roaring fire that warmed the house nicely and made Al's fingers and nose tingle.

"Not the best decision to come in October." he said. Charlie laughed.  
>"Yeah well just you wait, I bet you won't complain when I take you on a bender. Now how about a drink to warm you up and to prep you for tomorrow." Al pretended to consider than smiled.<br>"A firewhisky it is."

* * *

><p>"Charlie I'm home!" Charlie and Al looked up from where they sat in front of the fire, a glass of firewhisky in hand. Charlie was listening to Al's hilarious tale of how his friend Matt had mistaken his examiner for his great aunt in part of their stealth auror exams and had promptly asked her why she was so fat and failed to understand why she got so offended and hexed him. Charlie put down his glass and leapt to his feet to meet the man entering the house. Al leaned back and craned his neck to get a glimpse of Charlie's elusive boyfriend.<p>

Patrick stepped forward into Al's line of view a smile on his face. Patrick was a similar height to Uncle Charlie, tall, he was slimmer but Al could tell that he was still easily as strong and muscular. He was at least three years younger, though. His skin was pale, Al wouldn't have guessed he worked with dragons until he remembered Uncle Charlie said he worked at the compound but not with the keepers. His eyes were a haunting grey, and Al found them weirdly mesmerising to look at, they were like a diamond shone under a light, the pattern never looked quite the same. He had a strong jaw line, bushy eyebrows on his rather long face and on top was an explosion of dark curls. Yep he could see why Charlie had fell for him. He wore a long dark wool coat, a scarf was draped around his neck and his gloves were in his right hand. He saw Charlie step forward and take the shopping off him with a quick peck on the lips and then gesture at the armchair where Al sat. He made his way forward and Al got up.

"Albus?"  
>"Al, please. You must be Patrick."<br>"That's me." they shook hands and Al regained his seat. "Charlie was saying something about cameras, what was he talking about?"  
>"You don't mind but my family really want to know what you look like. I have been given strict instructions to document this 'holiday' and bring them all back." he nodded.<br>"Well that's understandable. Though why we didn't just send them pictures."  
>"Because it was grandma's idea and I was in the room. She goes<br>'I need to see this man at least. I need to know what he looks like.' Then James says.  
>'Well Al's going he can take photos.'" Al shakes his head and takes a swig of firewhiskey. "Honestly. They would have reached your conclusion if hadn't have been for my scheming brother."<p>

"Ah now, now words against James, I do recall hearing, or rather reading, some very good things about him." Charlie was back with another glass of firewhiskey which he handed to Patrick and settled down onto the sofa next to him. Al watched them a little wistfully. They looked so comfortable. So at ease. Al had never been in any kind of relationship before, hell he'd even messed up things with his best friend for a while.

"So Al what I really want to know before I get you pissed is how's things with Scorp?" Al chewed the inside of his lip.  
>"Okay." he said finally. Charlie raised an eyebrow, not in disbelief but to show that that was not an adequate answer.<br>"I mean we're sorting it out. He wants me to get to the bottom of it, he wants to be my best friend, and he says he'll always love me platonically but you know not the way I do."  
>"Well that's good."<br>"Yeah, you know I never realised how much he trusts me. He trusts me not to make a move on him or anything like that. I also found out that he values my friendship a little too highly."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"Well Rosie is a Ravenclaw, remember, she sought of figured out what I meant at the wedding."  
>"Oh no."<br>"Yeah and I've been off having very regular meetings with Scorp. You can sort of see why she was suspicious. I mean we are best friends but I won't deny I've been dropping round more and only talking to him not her to try and sort it out. I feel guilty talking to her whenever we talk about it."  
>"So did she think Scorp was cheating on her with you."<br>"Well no what happened was Scorp was being an idiot, so when she started asking him what we talked about and what we did and he wouldn't tell her because he didn't want to betray my secret. Then she thought we were having an affair." Al rolled his eyes.  
>"That is not good."<br>"You think, in the end she confronted both of us after dinner and because Scorp still wouldn't betray my secret I yelled at her that I loved him and that we've been trying to get past it so we can be best friends, we're not cheating on you. You should trust him more. Then she started crying."  
>"Why?"<br>"Because she said she already knew that, she figured it out but she had thought that Scorp had reciprocated. Then I told her she was an idiot, I meant what I said and I loved them more than I cared about what I wanted. I ended up crying and I think Scorp thought the world was ending. In the end we all ended up hugging, it was pretty crazy."  
>"So Rose knows."<br>"Yeah."  
>"That's good."<br>"Yeah I feel so much less guilty, this was only a week ago but we've talked about it together. I just, I still love him but he was my best friend first, and I do need him. I just never realised how much till now. I mean I get advice on getting over him from him."  
>"What's his advice?"<br>"Coming here. He thinks this is an excellent idea."  
>"I thought so."<p>

"Your support was great too though, I mean I wouldn't have thought of half the ways to cope with the publicity without you. You've been great."  
>"Cheers Al. I would have loved to be there when you asked the reporter whether she had a girlfriend or a boyfriend because if she had the right to ask you, you had the right to ask her and it wasn't either as if no one had heard of her because everyone read her gossip column."<br>"Well thank you for the idea."  
>"No problem." Patrick toasted his glass into the air.<br>"What are you toasting?"  
>"This wonderful idea."<p> 


	11. Hermione and Ginny

_**This is the start of a small arc I'm doing to do with Hermione and Ginny. They all follow canon and this one is designed to be something like a missing scene; it's set the night before they leave for the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire. I should hopefully have all three parts up today, definitely two, but I'm not making any promises on three.  
>Enjoy!<strong>_

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ginny<p>

"Hermione?" Ginny spoke softly, in case she should wake her potentially sleeping friend. There was no answer for a second then a soft rustle. Then came a reply from the mattress on the floor.

"Yes?" Ginny breathed out a sigh of relief, she wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Maybe it was having _Harry Potter_ back in their house and this time he knew who she was! This time she needed to try and not make such a fool of herself. But she honestly couldn't help it. Whenever he bestowed a look upon her, with those startling green, almond shaped eyes, framed in those wire glasses, she could feel the heat of her blush creep from her neck up her cheeks. "Erm Ginny, did you want to ask me something?" Ginny paused, trying to guess how you broached this kind of topic.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked eventually. She heard a rustle and guessed that Hermione had shrugged her shoulders, as an automatic response, forgetting Ginny couldn't see them.

"I don't know." she said, her voice very soft. "I guess I'm excited about the Quidditch World Cup." Ginny raised her eyebrow in the dark; Hermione was excited about Quidditch? "I know what you're thinking." said Hermione, after the silence was left hanging between them. "But I am really looking forward to it. I mean it's the final! What's there not to be excited about!"

"I really thought you didn't like Quidditch." said Ginny, aware that this conversation was not going anywhere near where she wanted it too.

"I normally don't, no. I only get excited at Hogwarts for Gryffindor because, well, I sort of have to and _Harry's_ playing.." Ginny felt something drop into her stomach. Hermione _couldn't_ like Harry like that, could she? They _were_ best friends. Hermione undoubtedly knew way more about Harry then she did, she spent just about all her time at school with him and she didn't constantly bicker with him like she did with Ron.

"You like watching Harry play?" she asked eventually.

"Of course I do. I think he's the best Hogwarts has got, as a seeker, though I am dreadfully biased." Ginny nodded unsure whether she wanted to continue this conversation or not. "What about you?" she blinked at Hermione's question.

"What about me what?" she asked.

"Why are you awake?"

"Oh, I'm just _really_ excited for the game." she could practically hear Hermione nodding.

"Do you play Quidditch? Because all your brothers do, but I haven't seen you out with them." Ginny allowed herself a smirk in the dark. She supposed she could tell Hermione, she could keep a secret.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course." replied Hermione, naturally curious.

"Well I've been sneaking into their broom shed since I was six and taking out their brooms one by one when they weren't looking!" she said it all in a rush a grin spreading across her face as she remembered soaring through the sky as a child, the thrill of secrecy only adding to the experience. Her mum thought Quidditch was too dangerous for boys, there was no way that she was going to let her darling little girl play it. However Ginny was pretty sure that the risk of breaking her neck had made her a very good flyer. Hermione was not as happy.

"SIX!" she shrieked, quite forgetting everyone else in the house was asleep. Ginny shushed her and she quietened as she continued. "But what if you'd fallen off and broken your neck?" Ginny shrugged.

"I just held on. It's not that big a deal." Hermione grunted.

"So what position do you play then?" Ginny mused this over for a little bit. Not playing with her brothers meant she hadn't really had a chance to gain a position but most of the time she liked diving and throwing around apples from the orchard.

"Seeker, but preferably Chaser." Hermione nodded then said

"I see."

"Hermione can I ask you something?" said Ginny, steeling herself to do something very daring. She desperately wanted to know if Hermione liked Harry _that_ way and as it wasn't likely to crop up in their conversation anytime soon, the best approach would definitely be a direct one.

"Of course." replied Hermione, and Ginny vaguely wondered when the two of them actually became good friends because they didn't spend time together in school but talking to Hermione was easy and Hermione treated her like a friend.

"Do you like Harry?" there was a short pause and then Hermione laughed.

"Ginny, of course I like Harry!" Ginny blinked, they weren't dating why was it obvious? "He's my best friend, you'd have to be pretty ditsy to be best friends with someone you didn't like!" Ah, thought Ginny, not quite what she'd meant but still did it answer the question? No because you can date your best friend, Ginny was sure of it.

"Erm, yeah I know, but I wanted to know if you _liked_ him." she overemphasised the word 'liked' and waited as there was a longer pause. Finally Hermione understood what Ginny was talking about.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You mean, like as in _like_!"

"Yeah." said Ginny, hoping she was actually going to get an answer now. She heard Hermione exhale heavily through her nose and then the rustling of the bed sheets as Hermione moved her head.

"I don't know what gave you that idea but I can tell you now that you've got it _all_ wrong. Harry and I are _just_ best friends." there was a silence, then Hermione said. "You still _really_ like him don't you?" Ginny nodded.

"Yeah." Hermione was silent for a couple of seconds.

"Well, for the record I think Harry knows, you make it painfully obvious." for the first time Ginny was glad of the dark, as it hid the blush that was covering her face. "Don't get me wrong today was definitely an improvement as far as things go, Harry's probably never heard you say so much in his life." Ginny opened her mouth to retort but then snapped it shut, Hermione was likely to give her some helpful advice and not just tease. She wasn't even saying it in a teasing way, it was just stating a fact. "But I think you could do with not blushing so much."

"I can't help it." said Ginny, slightly affronted. "Has someone you liked ever shot you a smile, it's hard not to blush." Hermione went silent and Ginny took that to mean she had won that argument.

"Maybe, you should date someone else." suggested Hermione after a little while.

"What?" asked Ginny scandalised. She had always considered Harry her one and only, the only person she would ever like, ever date, her first everything.

"Ginny you won't go through life only liking one person. You might only love one person but you're bound to have crushes on other people at some point in time. And besides." continued Hermione before Ginny could interrupt. "It'll help you to make Harry see you as a real person."

"A real person?" she exclaimed, quite offended now. How did Harry not see her as a real person?

"Oh Ginny." said Hermione quite pityingly. "I'm afraid to say that Harry sees you as nothing more than 'Ron's little sister', you need to make him see you as a proper individual. Try having an actual conversation with him, sort of like today when Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. But really Ginny, your first love isn't necessarily your _true_ love and maybe you'll find someone else. Someone you're interested in as much and who's, you know, interested in you."

Ginny was silent for a long time after Hermione finished talking. A part of her didn't want to give up on Harry, a part of wanted to wait for him forever, maybe it would. But another part of her wanted to move, on to be with someone who appreciated her. That part of her with stronger, besides it was like Hermione said. It could help Harry to see her differently. It _could_ even make him jealous. That was it then, it wouldn't be easy and it certainly wasn't what she wanted but it was probably for the best, Ginny Weasley was going to move on from Harry Potter. Yet she knew, right in the back of mind that if he showed any signs of being in slightest bit interested in her she'd leap straight back into his arms.

"Thanks Hermione." she whispered into the dark.

"'S okay Gin." mumbled Hermione and Ginny smiled at that. "Better sleep, it's an early morning tomorrow."

"Night." Ginny rolled over when she heard Hermione's muffled reply

"Night."

* * *

><p>On the floor Hermione Granger lay wide, the whites of her eyes reflecting the little light in the room. She waited until she heard Ginny's breathing steady and even out, to roll back onto her front. Staring at ceiling, Hermione hoped Ginny had taken she'd said seriously. Harry was, as far as she could tell, pretty poor when it came to these kind of things, and seeing as the only girl he'd shown <em>any<em> interest in was _Cho Chang_, she suppressed an eye roll, he'd probably end up breaking Ginny's heart into a load of tiny pieces without realising it. As she pulled the blanket higher up around her neck and curled up into a ball she realised she should probably take her own advice.


	12. Hermione and Ginny Part II

**_Okay so this is the second part of my Hermione/Ginny arc. Again I'm trying to stick as close to canon as I can and make this more like a missing scene. This one takes place directly after the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire, after Hermione and Ron argue in the common room_****_.  
>Enjoy this one, too!<em>**

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ginny Part Two<p>

Ginny ran up the stairs to girls dormitories. Running past her own she banged on the door to Hermione's.

"Hermione! Hermione! Let me in!" there was a sniffle and then a shuffle of feet. The door opened a fraction and Hermione peeked out. Through the small gap Hermione could see that Ginny was on the verge of tears and Ginny could see Hermione _was_ crying. Hermione opened the door fully and let her into the dormitory. Thankfully there was no one else in and Ginny collapsed down onto Hermione's bed, face down into the pillows. The mattress sank and she knew Hermione had joined her.

"Where are-"

"Still out with their dates." said Hermione in a thick voice. "So what happened?"

"I got asked out." came her muffled voice. Hermione, who had just lain down, shot back up.

"What?" Ginny nodded her head which was still buried in the pillows. "By who?"

"Mwichl Cwrner." mumbled Ginny into her mouthful of pillowcase.

"Who?" asked Hermione, Ginny's response hadn't exactly been intelligible.

"Michael Corner." she said rolling onto her front. Hermione looked down at her through red eyes.

"Isn't this good?" she asked, confused. Ginny made a funny movement with her head.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "It's like I really want to be with Michael but another part of me _wishes _that Neville hadn't asked me so I could've gone with Harry!" Hermione nodded her head.

"Remember what I told you in the summer?" Ginny nodded her head. "This is the opportunity to move on."

"I know but now I don't know what to _do, _because I know Harry doesn't like me because I saw him staring at Cho the entire evening! Yet I feel bad about Michael, I feel like I'm leading him on, or something."

"Well, you'll probably always have a thing for Harry but that shouldn't stop you being with other people you like, especially as you've pointed out, Harry doesn't like you like that."

"That's the other thing, seeing him staring at Cho like that, it hurts. It really hurts." she ran a hand over her face. Hermione nodded and patted her shoulder.

"It'll get better, that's why you should go out with Michael, it'll help you forget."

"And I'm not leading him on?" Hermione shook her head slowly.

"No I don't think so, not if you genuinely like him." Ginny smiled, glad that all her problems were easily solved. She still wasn't happy but she would have to make do. After all she was only in third year, she had plenty of time for Harry or someone else to fall for her. Hermione broke her musings. "Did you actually say yes when he asked?" Ginny turned pink and then shook her head.

"Well no, I sort of panicked. I mean, he asked me and I didn't know what to do! I don't even know him!" Hermione nodded.

"So what did you say?"

"Nothing! I ran off and then I felt like a complete fool because he cornered me again and said he completely understood if I didn't want to say yes but that the offer was still open." Hermione nodded some more.

"Maybe you should talk to him, like become his friend, but make it clear you are interested in dating but don't want yet-does that make sense?" Ginny shook her head and Hermione sighed. "Say you want to get to know him a little better before you think about going out with him."

"Because that's not awkward at all." Hermione shrugged.

"He'll understand, he's a Ravenclaw after all, besides it's better for you, this way you can make sure that he's asking you out for you and not just your looks." Ginny gaped at Hermione, astounded at how she had managed to think of everything and come up with a logical conclusion, especially considering she'd never had a boyfriend. Speaking of which…

"What happened between you and Ron then?" asked Ginny and at her question tears filled Hermione's eyes. It seemed that the mere memory of the event could reduce her to tears. She lay down on her stomach, head propped on her palms.

"He was so horrible to me." whispered Hermione. Ginny turned her head to look at her friend.

"What did he say?"

"Well first he just gave me this cold-shoulder but that only lasted for about a minute or two. Then he started saying how I was _fraternising with the enemy_." Ginny gaped at her.

"No!" Hermione nodded sadly. "But he's got a model of Krum in his dorm! He idolises him!"

"I know that's what I said but he wouldn't admit that I was right so he just said something even worse. He accused me of trying to help Viktor work out the egg clue!" Now Ginny was furious. Alright she understood that her brother might not like seeing Hermione dance with another man, Ginny was pretty sure he liked her, but that was no excuse to say that. She very much wanted to go and hex him right now but managed to constrain herself as Hermione kept talking through her sobs. "As if he's forgotten that _he_ was the one that ditched Harry when his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, that if it weren't for _me _Harry might not of gotten past that dragon at all! No he's just stupid and self-centred and…" she seemed to have run out of insults, instead burying her head in the blankets and crying. Ginny reached out a hand and patted her on the back.

Hermione cried for a long time and Ginny let her, knowing that this was the best cure.

"He spoiled my night." she sobbed. "Why couldn't he just let me be happy?"

"Maybe he was jealous." suggested Ginny. Hermione shook her head, her still silky hair swaying from side to side.

"No because when I told him that the solution was next time to ask me before someone else did and not as last resort and he just gaped stupidly at me, like he had no idea what I was talking about!" Ginny smiled a bit, she was sitting up now, a hand still resting comfortingly on Hermione's back.

"Hermione this is _Ron _we're talking about, of course he had no idea what you're talking about." Hermione propped herself up.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, Ron's not really the most… sensitive guy." Hermione snorted and Ginny grinned wryly. "He probably doesn't realise he likes you, he probably just _really_ hates seeing you dancing and laughing with some other guy so he decides, because he's an utter prat, to take it out on you." she shrugged. Hermione sniffed again, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

"You know something." she said, her voice sounding very much like that of a person with a cold.

"What?" replied Ginny.

"We have _terrible_ luck when it comes to guys." Ginny smiled again.

"Yeah, but it's like you said, move on. I can date Michael and you can be with Viktor. Wait, are you dating him?" Hermione shrugged.

"Things between him and I were left kind of weird because my argument with Ron put me in a terrible mood for the rest of the evening." Ginny nodded.

"Sort things out." she said, surprised by how authoritarian she sounded. "Then maybe we'll stop being miserable. And patch things up with Ron, for Harry's sake at least." Hermione rolled her eyes but nodded.

"Yeah, he deals with enough without me and Ron being _very_ angry with each other, though it might take a little while." Ginny shrugged.

"I didn't say you had to do it by tomorrow. Besides if you stay friends with Ron he might just stop being an idiot long enough for him to realise how much you like him and he likes you." Hermione smiled and this one was a proper one.

"Thanks Ginny." she said.

"No problem." The door to their dormitory opened and Pavati and Lavender came in both giggling hysterically. They saw Ginny and Hermione and then giggled some more. "Well I best be off to bed." said Ginny, standing up.

"Yeah." said Hermione. "I'm shattered. Goodnight Ginny."

"Goodnight Hermione." she said as she closed the dormitory door.

Crossing back to her own dormitory she opened the door carefully so as not to disturb the other occupants, most of them were asleep as they had not gained dates from the upper years and therefore not attended the ball. She crossed the room quietly to the bathroom and began to take off the make-up she had been wearing that night. All in all, for herself, when she weighed it up, it hadn't been a bad night. She'd been asked out and, now that she wasn't so panicked, she was beginning to feel giddy. Hermione was right, she didn't have to date him now. She could get to know him a bit, make sure they both felt _something _and then go out with him. With that plan firmly in her head, Ginny changed, got into bed and dropped straight off to sleep.


	13. Hermione and Ginny Part III

**_Okay so this is the last part in my Hermione/Ginny arc. It mostly takes place three years after the end of the war. Again trying to stick to the little bit of canon that we have for this.  
>Enjoy!<em>**

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><p>Hermione and Ginny Part Three<p>

Ginny sank onto the sofa at home. The house was unnaturally quiet. Perhaps it was the lack of Teddy or just the fact that she was its sole occupant at the present moment. Kicking off her Quidditch boots she stretched lazily. She was more than grateful to be where she was; the star chaser of the Holy Head Harpies, married to Harry Potter, godmother to the sweetest, funniest, cutest boy on the planet-Teddy-but sometimes she felt that there was something missing. Maybe she wanted kids, her and Harry had talked about it, but kids would put an end to Ginny flying for _nine months minimum_ and that would do serious damage to her career. Also she just wasn't sure that they were ready for kids, true she had helped raise Teddy and was probably the closest thing he would have to a mother, but her _own_ children. That was a huge responsibility and she was _only_ 20 after all. They had time, that was what both her and Harry had decided, they had time for everything in the future.

Suddenly a knock came at her door, glancing at the clock that stood on the mantelpiece Ginny noted that it was 6, practice had started and finished early. Harry wasn't due back till 7 at the earliest and she doubted Andromeda would call round now, as this was Teddy's bedtime. Curious she made her way down the hall and opened the front door, surprisingly, Hermione stood on her doorstep.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Ginny. "What are you doing here?" Hermione looked at Ginny, face on, and Ginny knew that Ron and Hermione had had _another _row.

Ron and Hermione were in love, no one could deny that, but unlike Harry and Ginny they seemed to constantly fight. Some of time it was good natured bickering, most of the time it was inconsequential because they just made up, but occasionally they would fight properly. One time Harry had had to pull out his wand and muscle his way between his best friends. Now Harry and Ginny had their fair share of arguments but it never got to the point where the wouldn't want to come home at night, in fact they if they were still mad at each other by the time they got home they'd just make up after Harry cooked dinner; being less stubborn he nearly always caved first and said sorry. However often Ron or Hermione came to stay the night when they fell out, normally Hermione.

"So." said Ginny when they were sitting at the kitchen table with tea in front of them and a plate of biscuits. "What did you argue about _this _time?" Hermione hung her head into her left hand, her right holding onto her mug.

"It was really stupid." she sniffled and Ginny resisted, strongly, the urge to roll her eyes. That was what they _always_ said. "I'd just come back from work. I asked Mr Diggory if I could leave early because Ron was back and he said yes, even though he'd be alone in our department." Amos Diggory had returned to the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures after the second war ended saying he didn't know what else to do with himself. He was Hermione's boss but Hermione practically ran the show, lobbying for equal rights for house-elves, part-humans and any other magical creature. Mr Diggory was very fond of Hermione and said she was going to be a rising star in the Ministry. Hermione, likewise, was very fond of Mr Diggory and liked to make sure that he was taking good care of himself.

"So you came home early because Ron's supposed to be back." Ron had been on an auror mission for the past three weeks, hunting down the whereabouts of suspected death eaters. Him and Harry no longer worked together as they weren't trainees but junior aurors, assigned to a more experienced one. However Harry was also considered to be a fast rising star in the Ministry, not just, because he defeated Voldermort but also because of his ability to make good decisions under high pressure and how he nearly always got the job done.

"Yeah." said Hermione. "He wasn't back yet, but they're always like that so I got out some of my work and just tried to get on with it but I was worried." Ginny nodded, both her and Hermione had great fears that their partners would not return from a mission. "So anyway he came back at around 5:45, and I was so happy to see him but I was part way through a _very_ important speech. I just wanted to finish the paragraph." she said, the tears pooling into her eyes and Ginny had a nasty feeling she knew where this was going. Hermione, a _very_ important speech and a Ron who had just returned home after three weeks, was a recipe for disaster. However she decided to keep her opinion to herself and wait for Hermione to tell all. "He wanted to… to _celebrate _being back." said Hermione, going pink. Hermione, it seemed, could be a very demure person. She _hated_ talking about her and Ron's 'personal lives', as she liked to call it, and thought that everyone who was interested was _incredibly_ rude and uncouth. Ginny had no problems with Hermione not talking about it. It was her brother after all, she didn't need the sordid details.

"So he wanted to celebrate." said Ginny. Hermione nodded, wiping her eyes a little.

"Yeah and I just kept saying I'd finish the paragraph I was writing, I was half way through it!" Ginny nodded and reached out to take her hand. Hermione squeezed it gratefully. "Ron got all huffy, he sat down and started leafing through my work." Ginny closed her eyes and counted to ten, she _really_ didn't like where this was going. "He kept snorting and making all these comments and it was getting on my last nerve! I _know_ he's not keen on elf-welfare but does he have to make it so _bloody obvious_!" Ginny blinked, she knew 'bloody' was a mild swear word but she was pretty sure that she had never heard Hermione swear, for her that was like all the swear words rolled into one. She was really riled up. "I'm sorry Ginny, I'm just still a bit angry." Ginny shrugged.

"Doesn't bother me. Just carry on with your story."

"Yes, well, then I asked him, because he was getting on my nerves, to leave me in peace. He kept saying we needed to go _celebrate_ and it was-eurgh-so frustrating. Then I-it was all my fault." she said hopelessly. Ginny patted her hand.

"I'm sure it wasn't _all_ your fault. Ron is known for being idiotic and insensitive, but anyway carry on."

"Well I shouted at him to leave me alone." she was practically sobbing, now, as she spoke. "I said I just wanted to get these last couple of lines done and then we could go and celebrate, but that this speech was very important and if done right could be the next foot forward for elf-rights, not that he cares about that." Ginny sat in silence for a moment taking it all in.

"Did say all of that to Ron?" she asked.

"Yeah." said Hermione sadly. "And then he fired up, you know how he gets. He shouted back that he'd been tracking death eaters across rough terrain for three weeks, not that I care about that. He said that I'd probably been getting all cosy with Mr Diggory in the office, having nice late night chats about elfish-welfare!" she let out an angry breath as tears poured down her cheeks. "He practically accused me of having an affair with Cedric's dad!" Ginny winced, thinking of anyone who died in the war always made her think of Fred. Hermione was furiously wiping away the tears. "Then I shouted back that that was completely horrible! That the _only_ reason I was even doing this at home was because I had wanted to be home early for him but now I really regretted because it seemed that he was just going to accuse me of having affairs with my boss! My friend!" Hermione sounded furious but Ginny had had enough experience with dealing with Hermione and Ron's rows, the first major one had been in her third year after the Yule Ball, to know letting Hermione get it out of her system was the best approach. "Then he pulled something out of his pocket and said that they'd spent _one _day in civilisation and whilst everyone else went to have baths Ron went and got this made but now he saw it wasn't worth it because I clearly didn't want to be with him!" Hermione took a deep shuddering breath. "Then he walked out and I don't know where he went. I came here because…" Hermione broke down into further tears and reached into her pocket with the hand that had previously had her chin propped on. Sliding a suspect looking box across the table to Ginny she said "I thought it might blow over but then I looked in there and now I'm not sure at all." Ginny looked down at the little box before her and cautiously, with trembling fingers as she just _knew _what was inside it, opened it.

There in the little black velvet cushion inside the box sat a ring. The band was made of simple silver and inset into that, in the middle, was a rose made of ruby. Ginny's eyebrows went up. This was beautiful, she honestly did not think that Ron could ever have had this good choice. It must have cost so much.

"How did he get this?" she asked. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know he said he had it made." Ginny blinked smiling down at the ring in the box but then her face fell. Hermione and Ron _weren't _engaged though. They'd just had a huge row and, contrary to what Hermione thought, Ginny was very pissed off with her youngest older brother.

The front door slammed and both girls jumped. Ginny smiled at Hermione.

"That'll be Harry." Hermione smiled back, slightly.

"Go greet Mr Potter." she said. "I'll be fine, just take _that_ will you." Ginny obligingly swept the ring box of the table and, snapping it shut, popped it into her pocket. Ginny hurried into the hall and was greeted with a sight that was far less desirable than she'd hoped.

Standing next to Harry, looking tired and maybe a little upset, was Ron. His red hair stuck up on end and his brown eyes were downcast. His skin, mainly his forehead and cheeks, was a nasty reddish colour. It was clear that he had been out in the sun for far too long because, apart from the sunburn, his multitude of freckles seemed to have grown as it always did.

Striding up to her husband Ginny kissed him firmly on the lips. Harry, however, only allowed the kiss to be brief, before pulling back. He was obviously trying to not hurt Ron's feelings, this was much was made obvious by the way his eyes darted sideways to him. Ron's eyes were averted not watching, but also not comment on, the event occurring before him. Stepping back from Harry Ginny turned her glare on her brother.

"What are you doing here?" Ron seemed to deliberate.

"Harry brought me back here." Ginny could feel the anger towards both of them grow; Harry, at least, would have known that Hermione would be here. She turned to her new husband and was surprised to see that he was smiling slightly.

"Do you think this is funny?" she snapped at him. He shook his head.

"No, of course not, but I'm always surprised by how well I can read you." Words like those, spoken softly and sincerely, always made her heart melt but today she wasn't just angry at him. He took another step towards her as she bristled. "Look just listen to what your brother has to say. I'm going to leave you alone so I'm going to have to trust you to be the responsible one. Trust me when I say you don't know everything." Ginny blinked, did Harry know about the engagement? "I'll be in the kitchen with Hermione."

"How do you-"

"My best friend and my wife, I like to think I know them." with a smile he departed.

Ginny turned to Ron who was shifting on his feet in the hallway looking rather unsure of himself. Ginny wanted to shout at him for all but breaking up with Hermione but she trusted Harry, if he said there was more to this then she knew about then she was going to believe that.

"It was a misunderstanding." Ron blurted out eventually. Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "When I said let's celebrate I literally meant celebrate." Ginny frowned and blinked at her brother, not entirely sure what he meant.

"What?"

"I meant let's go have a party, I've asked everyone to keep the day I come back free and, you know, even Charlie's here 'cause of that new dragon legislation thing. I wanted us to all meet up at the Burrow, I wanted to propose to her." Ginny continued to stare at her older brother her brain beginning to catch up with what he was saying.

"So you actually said 'celebrate' to her?" Ron nodded.

"Yes." Ginny frowned.

"How did she get-actually on second thoughts I _really _don't want to know." Ron smiled slightly at his sister.

"So you see, it was just a giant misunderstanding that kick-started our argument and I-"

"Don't know why I said half the things I did." quoted Ginny, quite used to his apology speech. Ron nodded again.

"I need a second chance to propose, Gin, I need you to get the ring off her and I need you to get her to the Burrow." Ginny frowned.

"Why?"

"Because everyone else is there, we stopped on our way here to say she'd be here soon. Please Gin?" he begged and Ginny couldn't say no.

"Alright, I have the ring." she said holding out the box to him. He took it with a smile.

"Thanks."

"Out of interest, how did you get something so pretty? You usually have awful taste." Ron shifted on his feet.

"Well we were in this village and I was thinking of doing it but I didn't have a ring, like I'd seen a couple I thought were okay but I was still looking for one that was really special. Then I went past this craftsman's shop and in the window he has this ring but with a blue tulip. On the sign it said that he took requests and he could do different flowers. I went in and I asked if he could do something red because, you know, Gryffindor. I told him I wasn't bothered about the flower and he said a rose, they were a symbol of love. So I took it. It took all day but I waited and it cost me more than I had, I owe him money, but it was worth it." he smiled down at the ring and Ginny nodded.

"I take it this was a wizard 'cause you would have been screwed if they'd asked for muggle gold."

"What? Oh yeah, we stopped in a wizarding settlement." Ginny nodded once more.

"Okay, you go to the Burrow I'll bring Hermione." Ron nodded.

"Cheers sis."

"Ron, screw with Hermione one more time and I won't be so kind." Ron smiled.

"Sometimes I think you forget who you're related to." he closed the front door with a soft click and Ginny knew he must have disapperated.

Heading back into the kitchen she saw Harry and Hermione in full flow about someone called 'Hatty' from work. Ginny had heard of the infamous Hatty before and still couldn't work out what her job was, or even what department she was in. She just seemed to pop up everywhere and annoy everyone, it was one of the few topics of conversation that Dad, Percy, Harry, Ron and Hermione agreed on.

"Who were you talking to?" asked Hermione. Her gaze, thankfully, was fixed on Ginny so she didn't see Harry freeze. Ginny's mind whirred for a couple of seconds until it landed on the right answer.

"Dad." she said.

"Mr Weasley?" asked Hermione confused.

"Yeah, he wants us to come to supper at the Burrow." Out of the corner of her eye she could see a grin spreading on Harry's face.

"Oh."

"He called by your house and said you guys weren't in so he wants us to tell you if we see you if you're not to busy to come." Hermione nodded.

"Which you're not." interjected Harry. "It's the perfect opportunity to take your mind of whatever idiotic things Ron said and practice conjuring birds for Teddy and Vic." Hermione cracked a smile at that and Ginny frowned, this was clearly an in-joke that she didn't get.

"Well okay, but will Ron be there?" "Considering we don't know where Ron is…" Ginny didn't bother to finish the sentence in words, choosing instead to throw Hermione a pointed look.

"Oh alright fine." Hermione stalked over to their fire place, picking a handful of green powder out of the pot. She just had time to see Ginny grinning broadly before she was whooshed away.

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><p>Hermione was released, at last, from Ron's tight, yet loving embrace as the roars and cheers continued to sound through out the Burrow. Mrs Weasley descended immediately on her youngest son, hugging him very tightly and kissing him on the cheek, tears spilling down her own. Hermione couldn't be happier as she threw her arms around the person standing nearest to her. Ginny laughed as she caught Hermione in a hug.<p>

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she heard her best friend squeal into her shoulder. She pulled back, her eyes glistening but this time the tears were definitely happy. "You'll be my maid-of-honour, of course!" Ginny laughed at her friend, pretty sure she hadn't seen Hermione this excited since her own wedding. When Hermione released Harry from a tight bone crushing hug Ron had sauntered over.

"I'm best man, right?" said Harry. "'Cause if I'm not…" the playful threat trailed away into laughter and the boys went to talk to George and Percy, leaving Hermione and Ginny to be assaulted by Mrs Weasley who already had plans for the wedding.

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><p><strong>5 Years Later<strong>

Ginny was very worried. Very worried indeed, but of course she didn't show it. In fact she was taking deep calming breaths to try and calm down her nerves because it would not be good for little baby Albus, who, thankfully, was not kicking at all; maybe he'd realised that mummy needed some peace. Little James was curled up in his fathers arms, face scrunched up as he slept. Teddy was telling Victorie, Freddie and Roxie and Dom about the horrors of childbirth. For an eight year old he knew _a lot_ about the subject and it was certainly scaring four year old Dom. Molly, who was one, was watching two-year-old Louis run around in circles with wide eyes. Ron was pacing. Many passers by were giving the abnormally large group odd looks, and one child commented on the number of 'gingers' but everyone was too worried and stressed to care.

They were in a muggle hospital. Not St Mungos in which an operation like this would be quick and simple and child birth was practically painless, if you wanted it to be. No they were in some strange muggle hospital in which Hermione was under-going caesarean birth. Ginny shivered, she couldn't imagine her best friend being cut open like that. Then again, Hermione had more faith in muggle medicine then them, in fact her parents looked quite relaxed and were telling her parents that Hermione had been a caesarean. The worst thing for Ginny was that it was _her _fault that they were in this hospital. She'd wanted to go and look for some new stuff for little Albus and Hermione, because her due date hadn't been for another two weeks and because she was bored, offered to come and help her. They'd been part way down a street when Hermione had turned, very calmly considering, and said that she thought she was in labour. Then they'd realised that they couldn't get to St Mungos as Hermione's birth seemed to be happening very quickly, she was practically bent double in pain. Thankfully a helpful muggle had brought them here, it had only been two streets away. Ginny had managed to contact Hermione's parents and asked them to tell the rest. She'd been comforting Hermione when the doctor announced that they needed to do caesarean birth, now. Hermione had been wheeled away when everyone else turned up.

A nurse appeared, bustling along the corridor. Everyone looked up and stared at her as she came right towards them.

"They're fine." she said, slowly. "She would like her parents, her husband, Mr and Mrs and a Mr and Mrs Potter along with their child and god-child." The elected people stood up, James grumbling slightly at being moved. Teddy stuck out his tongue at Victorie and Harry said he could stay there if he was going to do that. He immediately apologised and took hold of Ginny's hand with wide eyes, begging her to let him come. She smiled and hurried him along after the others. When they got there everyone was cooing over the baby, James had been let down onto the bed and was curiously prodding the new baby. Ron was crying, he had never been so proud or happy. Teddy looked down at the new baby, who sleepily open their eyes.

"I like this one too." he told the room. "I'm going to look after her as well." everyone awed at the statement.

"So what are you calling her?" asked Harry, as he picked up his godson. Hermione glanced once at her engagement ring which she had slipped onto her finger, glancing with a half-smile at Ginny she said

"Rose."


	14. Harry and Teddy II

Harry and Teddy II

Harry was exhausted. His new born son, James Sirius Potter, seemed to have inherited his namesakes personalities and refused point-blank to be still. Maybe, thought Harry, he should have balanced it out a bit. Called him James Albus Potter but that didn't seem to have the same ring to it as James Sirius and besides, he wasn't stupid enough to believe it was the names that were doing it, it was just James' natural personality.

Seeing as Ginny had given birth just more than 24 hours ago Harry thought it was completely fine for her to sleep. The amount of shouting and screaming and swearing to never have any other children suggested she'd been in rather a lot of pain. Therefore it seemed natural for her, when they'd finally gotten home, to collapse into bed and fall straight asleep. Harry, however was not as lucky, because James had woken up the moment he'd put him in his crib and began to squirm and make noises of protest. In case he started screaming and woke Ginny up, Harry had hastily scooped him out and walked him up and down, talking complete and utter rubbish in the hope he'd fall asleep. It wasn't going to happen though because he was so restless. He just wiggled constantly and Harry was terrified he was going to drop him. Whilst Harry had plenty of experience with little children, he'd practically raised Teddy and most of the Weasley's had children by now, he had never encountered one like James. Teddy had been a very quiet baby, Harry suspected he got that off Remus, and would fall asleep within seconds of tucking him into his bed. James, it seemed, didn't like his bed, or just being still at all.

When Harry had finally gotten his son to drop off. He wanted nothing more than to fall asleep himself. He was sitting in the rocker in James' room, his head drooping forward when he heard a knock at the door. Jolting awake he checked James, he seemed to be so shattered he could sleep through the loud banging, and then hurried downstairs. Flinging open the door he was shocked to see Andromeda standing on his doorstep, soaking wet and crying.

"Andromeda!" he exclaimed, allowing her to come inside. "What's happened?"

"It's Teddy!" she sobbed. "He's run away." Harry's heart stopped. The world fell silent. No.

"He's…he's run away?" Andromeda nodded and Harry led her into the sitting so she could sit down and quickly waved his wand so warm air washed over her and dried her clothes. "When did you last see him?" demanded Harry, his brain in auror mode, his mind fixed on the task.

"When I put him to bed at around 7. He's been quiet all day and I thought it was because he couldn't go round to yours like I'd promised, you know how sulky he can get sometimes." Harry nodded, Teddy had the ability to sulk for hours if you upset him. It was nearing midnight now. It was pouring with rain.

"Stay here." he said to her. "I'm going to gather the Weasley's and we'll go look. We'll find him Andromeda, I promise." as he darted upstairs to get his coat and boots Ginny came out of the room looking tired and confused.

"Harry?" she mumbled. "Who are you talking to?"

"Andromeda. Teddy's run away, I'm gathering the others, we need to find him quickly." Ginny's mouth fell open.

"I'll-"

"No." said Harry quickly as he sent a patronus to the houses of all the Weasley's. "Stay with James, Andromeda's downstairs and she's very upset." Ginny nodded and with that Harry bounded down the stairs and Ginny followed. Going into the sitting room she immediately embraced Andromeda who began to cry again. Ginny cast him one worried look, before Harry darted out of the house. One the front step he turned on the spot and vanished with a crack.

"Harry?" the call came from Percy Weasley. He was standing in Andromeda's muddy front garden, looking tired, pale and concerned.

"Percy." he said with a gasp. "Is anyone else here?" Percy shook his head.

"No, I was up anyway with Molly." Harry nodded. Suddenly there were two loud cracks and Ron and Hermione appeared. They ran up to Harry.

"He's really missing?" Harry nodded. Three more loud cracks announced the arrival of Mr Weasley, Bill and George.

"What do we do?" they all had their wands out, their faces alert for the lateness of the hour.

"We split up." said Harry instantly. "We need to fan out and scan the surrounding area as fast as we can. It's late and it's raining and it's cold. Teddy could have been out here for hours! If you find him send out a partronus and take him to Grimuald Place." he received grim nods from everyone, determination set on their faces. Hermione sniffed slightly and Harry laid a hand on her shoulder as Ron squeezed her hand tightly. "We'll find him." she nodded grimly. "Right, separate. Choose a direction and go."

Harry set off immediately, running round the side of the house, through the garden and out towards the park. It was Teddy's favourite haunt as a small child and it was the place that Teddy always associated with his parents, apart from their graves, because it was here Harry had told him about them.

Pushing open the rusted gate to the play park he slowly waved wand and muttered

"Homenum Revelio." nothing happened. Swallowing and tapping his glasses with a quick "Impervius." he shook the damp hair out of his hair. "TEDDY!" he shouted. His cry rent the still air in the park. "TEDDY WHERE ARE YOU?" there was nothing. Panic beginning to set in, he tried to remember that there were other people looking for him, that Teddy didn't _have_ to be here.

He vaulted the small fence on the other side of the playground and began to run towards the football goals. Spinning around he couldn't see a thing. "Lumos." the narrow beam of light did little for Harry as he continued to race through the park. All rational thought seemed to have left his mind. He couldn't focus on anything but the fact that his godson was out in the dark and the pouring rain. What if Teddy hadn't run away? What if he'd been kidnapped? What if a car had hit him? What if?

Suddenly, he heard a sniffle. It was small, indistinct and nearly blocked out by the sound of the pouring rain. Harry froze. All his senses had charged into overdrive. Slowly he looked up. Above him where the branches of a tree. They were leafy and wet.

"Teddy?" he whispered. "Teddy?" there was another sniffle. Then

"Harry?" the voice was weak but Harry nearly fainted from relief.

"Teddy!" he exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing?" there was another sniff and sob. Instead of answering the question he said

"I can't come down." Harry sighed. Teddy could climb trees very well. They all joked that he should have been called Monkey not Teddy but he had one big flaw. Whilst going up was easy, Teddy struggled to come back down on his own. It wasn't that he couldn't, it was just that he got too afraid of falling, given the clumsy nature he'd inherited off Tonks. Harry shone his wand into the branches and saw his godson curled up and on one of the thicker ones, arms and legs gripping it tightly. His eyes huge.

"Okay Teds, stay where you are. I'm coming to get you." Just before he did he sent everyone else a patronus saying that he'd got him and that they could all go home.

Harry wasn't that bad at climbing trees either, chasing up them after Teddy had made him a quick learner but this one was wet and slippery and he was terrified of falling as much as Teddy was, mainly because if he fell, who'd get Teddy out. However he kept his cool and soon he was level with Teddy whose hair was white from fear. Harry cautiously made his way onto the branch, testing it's weight so that they wouldn't fall.

"Come here Monkey." he called to Teddy and Teddy cautiously slid his way across the branch until Harry could grab the 7 year old into his arms and hold him tightly. Teddy grabbed the front of his coat tightly in his fists and continued to sob. "It's okay Teddy I got you. Now I want you to hold on very tightly and don't let go, no matter what, understand?" Teddy's white head moved up and down. "Good." concentrating hard and not letting go of his godson Harry disapparated.

They landed back in the street with a bump. Harry, not used to apparating with someone clinging to his front or from a crouched position in a tree, hadn't made it quite where he'd hoped but they were all in one piece which was what really mattered. Teddy was still clinging to his front, not wanting to let go, Harry hoisted him up so that he was carrying him. He made his way up the front steps and opened the front door with a wave of his wand.

There were hurried footsteps and suddenly half the Weasley family came rushing at the two of them. Harry smiled slightly at them but Teddy continued to burrow his head into Harry's coat and didn't seem to want to look at anyone.

"Oh Teddy!" Andromeda came flying at the two of them. She had tears in her eyes. "Teddy!" she seemed incapable of articulating anything more, however, and just sobbed a little bit, this time out of relief. Hermione put a hand on her shoulder and guided her back into the living room. The rest of them followed.

Harry made his way to one of them sofas and sat down, peeling Teddy off him, he sat him down next to him. Teddy's hair was not white anymore but a pale red, meaning he was slightly embarrassed. All the other adults crowded round him whilst he hid his face. Harry dried him and himself off and then watched his godson as he began to calm down. Andromeda, who seemed to have calmed down now, swept over and hugged him very tightly. He seemed to vanish into her cloak and they heard the fading sobs continuing as she said

"Teddy Remus Lupin! You are going to be the death of me!"

"I'm sorry grandma." he sobbed and all the other adults stepped back, feeling they were intruding in on a very personal, private moment. "I'm really sorry." she stepped back and observed her grandson, he was pale, his hair wasn't bright enough and his face was tear streaked.

"You're in big trouble when you get home, mister." Teddy nodded, as if he expected nothing less.

"Here." Teddy turned to George who was pulling a tissue out of his sleeve. "Say when." he continued to pull tissue out of his sleeve. Harry and Hermione shared an amused look at the look of fascination on Teddy's face.

"When." he said eventually and George tore it off and handed it to him. Teddy took it cautiously and then began to wipe away the tears and blow his nose. "How do you do that?" he asked, eyes still wide. George knelt down so that he was on eye level with Teddy.

"Just between you and me, eh Teds?" Teddy nodded eagerly. "I got it off muggle magicians." Teddy's eyes went, if possible, even wider.

"Really?" George nodded and ruffled his hair as he stood up. Teddy looked a bit happier. Hermione swooped on him the moment he'd finished wiping his tears away.

"Oh Teddy, are you alright?" he nodded and hugged her back. His hands gripping the back of her T-shirt. All the other adults took turns in hugging Teddy and ruffling his hair.

"I should get home. Fleur will be freaking out about all this." there were nods from everyone else.

"Bye Teddy."

"Hope you don't get in too much trouble, kiddo." the door closed and it was just Andromeda, Ginny, Harry and Teddy left in the sitting room. There was a moment before Andromeda said.

"I think I need a cup of tea, Ginny?" Ginny blinked at her for a second before clocking onto what she wanted.

"Yeah, I could use one too."

"So how's James?" their conversation drifted away as they walked down to the kitchen. Harry looked at his godson, his hair was red and he was staring at his feet.

"Come on Teddy, cheer up." Teddy continued to stare at his feet. Harry went up and squatted down in front of him. Using one finger he gently raised Teddy's chin so that their faces were level. However Teddy still refused to look into his eyes, instead choosing to cast them around the room. "Do you want to tell me what's up or am I going to have to apply my not so great guessing skills?" Teddy glared at the wall for a couple of minutes before saying.

"You don't want me." Harry's eyebrows went up.

"Pardon?" Teddy turned his glare at him.

"You don't want me. You've never wanted me. You just looked after me because you had to. Now you have your _own_ child no one will expect you to look after me anymore. You won't have to be burdened with me anymore." Harry's eyebrows had disappeared into his fringe by the time Teddy had finished.

"_What_?" he exclaimed, aghast. "Teddy what on _earth_ gave you that idea?" Teddy glared at him, his hair turning dark red, it was so dark it almost looked browny.

"It's _obvious_!" he exclaimed. "All you've talked about since Ginny got pregnant was 'is it a girl?', 'is it a boy?', 'what should we call it?', 'what colour should we paint it's room?'. You stopped letting me come over. You only saw me once a week." Teddy's eyes were filling up with tears and Harry felt bad. He had advised Andromeda to stop taking Teddy over because Ginny needed rest and not a hyperactive, clumsy, 7 year old running around and he had started seeing him less because he was juggling a demanding job and a very crabby pregnant wife. Also there was so much they needed to do; paint the room, get all the furniture, get the clothes. It had been a never ending task and he'd been so tired and busy he just hadn't had as much time for Teddy as he'd have liked but he never thought that Teddy would get the impression that he wasn't wanted. Harry loved Teddy. He was as good as his own son. Harry had always felt that he was a son; he remembered all the times he'd brought Teddy into his office at work and played with him instead of doing what he ought, he remembered the first time he taught Teddy to fly a broom. Unexpectedly he felt his own eyes fill with tears. Teddy looked at him, his eyes widening with shock.

"Harry?" he asked, concerned. "Harry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to insult your son." Harry shook his head, covering his eyes with his hand and taking a second to compose himself.

"Oh Teddy." he said, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you?" Teddy looked at him, a little afraid. Harry put both hands on his shoulders, looking him square in the eyes. "Listen to me Teddy Remus Lupin because I'm only going to say this once, actually that's a lie I'll probably say it again but listen intently anyway." Teddy stared at his godfather intently. "I love you, okay? I love you like my son. I remember when I first held you in my arms. You were tiny and it was…the day after the war ended. I went to Andromeda's because I was your godfather and your parents had just been killed and I had to make sure Andromeda knew what had happened. She gave you to me and I was terrified. What happened if I dropped you? And more than that, you were partially my responsibility now; what happened if I messed up? I had _no idea_ what I was doing. I was 17 and you were this little baby, what happened if I got it all wrong? Then you woke up and I freaked out even more, but you just smiled at me. This _huge_ smile and I just…" Harry trailed off, not knowing what to say to describe what he'd felt in that moment. Teddy's eyes were filled with tears. "I just _knew_ that everything was going to work out. And I admit that maybe I haven't been around these past months like I normally have been but that _does not_ mean that I don't want you and you _were not_ some sort of…" Harry searched for the right words. "Filler son, you're my godson and I'm _very_ proud of that. And." he added, beckoning Teddy to lean closer. "I'll let you in on something, I'm your godfather, right?" Teddy nodded, looking curious. "So that means James is your god brother." Teddy looked at him, a little surprised, evidently having not thought of it like that before. "Which means, to all intents and purposes, you're his older brother." Teddy's eyes went even wider.

"I'm his older brother?" he questioned, stammering a little. Harry nodded.

"Yeah and, you know, he'll look up to you, kind of like Vic does." Teddy smiled a little bit more.

"You mean it?" Harry nodded emphatically.

"Of course I do." Teddy stood still for a minute before throwing both his arms around Harry's neck. Harry laughed and lifted him off the floor, easily swinging him round so that he was sitting on Harry's shoulders.

"Alright up there Monkey?" Teddy laughed.

"Yes sir!"

"Do you fancy staying the night and I can introduce you to your little god brother in the morning?"

"Yes please!"

Suddenly they heard the sound of James' screaming from upstairs.

"Well." said Harry. "Sounds like you can meet him early, what say we go calm James down then we head to bed? Sound like a good idea?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, head down." Harry carried Teddy out of the living room and hurried up the landing. "Ginny." Ginny was just about to go into James' room. "We'll handle this." Ginny looked at the two of them, a little surprised.

"Alright." she said, stepping away from the door. "

Great. Also, can you tell Andromeda Teddy's going to stay the night." Ginny nodded, patted Teddy's arm and went back downstairs. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yep." Harry went into the room and James was lying in his cot screaming his head off. Harry quickly put Teddy down and picked him up. James squirmed a lot still crying. Harry sat down in the rocker and began to rock back and forth. James began to quiet slightly.

"Is he okay?" Teddy moved over him his hair changing colour from yellow to a strange pale version.

"I think so." said Harry. "You did this sometimes, you'd sometimes burst into tears for no reason." Teddy's hair changed colour as he smiled. James caught sight of it and immediately fell silent. Teddy scrunched up his face and his hair changed colour again. James stared at it, his little eyes wide. Teddy did it again and again and James let out a gurgle of a laugh. By the time Teddy had gone through every colour he could think of James had fallen back asleep.

When Harry had settled him back in his cot he retook his seat.

"Come here." he said, beckoning for Teddy to come and join him. Teddy curled up on his lap.

"Did I do the right thing?" he asked. Harry kissed the top of his lightly.

"Yes. Looks like you have a new job." Teddy leaned his head back into his chest.

"Do you think my parents would be proud of me?" his question was whispered as if afraid of the answer. Harry smiled and thought of both Remus and Tonks.

"Yes, I think they'd be very proud of you. You're very mature for a sever year old, you know."

"But I ran away." Harry smiled softly down at him.

"You got upset and you felt hurt and rejected, everyone does stupid things when they're upset. Out of interest why did you run away from your grandma, I thought you were only cross with me?" Teddy scrunched his face up and looked away from his godfather.

"I thought if you didn't want me then nobody would."

"Oh Teddy, I might have to take what I said about being mature back." he laughed softly into Teddy's bright blue hair.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to upset grandma."

"I know. She's not really mad at you, more upset that you ran away."

"I promise I won't do it again."

"Good." they fell silent again until Harry asked. "Why the park?"

"Because if you go up to the top of the tree you can see mum and dad's graves. I felt closer to them up there without being in the garden." Harry smiled.

"I promise you that you won't ever feel like that and if you do just shout or something but please _don't_ run away, it scares us all to death."

"I won't." his voice was growing soft and when Harry opened his mouth to talk he noticed Teddy had fallen fast asleep. He smiled and a second later he was fast asleep.

Harry was woken by the soft noises. Opening his eyes he saw Teddy crouched over his sons cot, his hair changing colour rapidly. He heard Harry get to his feet and turned around.

"I've been changing my hair colour for the past half an hour but he won't stop." Harry blinked, surprised.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Teddy shrugged.

"I was just trying to be a good brother." Harry read between the lines easily and saw what he was worried about.

"Remember what I said yesterday, I love you like my son, you don't have to prove anything to me." Teddy nodded and Harry bent down and picked up James. "And it's no wonder he's still crying he's hungry, let's take him to his mum."

When Ginny came into the kitchen 10 minutes later she was pleased to find Harry and Teddy 'cooking' breakfast. What was actually happening was they were having a flour and water fight in front of the stove. They were both laughing very hard and didn't notice Ginny come in and take a seat to watch them. When Harry had run out of flour he scooped Teddy into his arms and began to tickle him. Teddy began to scream with laughter his hair turning a blindingly bright shade of yellow.

"Mercy." he begged, wheezily. "Mercy." Harry released him and looked at the surrounding area, not turning around to see Ginny watching them.

"Ginny is going to be so mad." he commented and Ginny couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. They both spun on the spot and stared at her, open mouthed.

"It was him!" they cried, pointing at each other. Ginny laughed even harder.

"He's a Monkey." said Harry. "Naturally it was him who started the mischief."

"But I'm mature." protested Teddy, Ginny shot Harry a look that said 'really?' and Harry just winked. "He's an adult and it was _his_ idea to get all the ingredients out." Ginny raised an eyebrow at her guilty looking husband. Shaking her head she said

"You're an awful role model Potter."

"Oh I don't know." he said, scooping Teddy off the floor and sitting down in a chair was him on his lap. "I get the feeling I've gotten the hang of this parenting lark. Now who's up for a trip to the Burrow? I get the feeling everyone wants to see you and James." he directed the last part at Teddy.

"Will Vic be there?" he asked and Harry smiled.

"Yes, I imagine she will be."

"Does she know I ran away?" he questioned quietly. Harry pulled a face at his wife, looking for help. Ginny shrugged.

"I don't know." he said, shaking his head. "But first we need breakfast. You sit there and don't touch anything breakable Monkey." Teddy smiled, a little cheekily at him and Harry knew it was no good. Whilst Teddy was quite quiet and serene like Remus he had inherited Tonks' unfortunate ability to break and knock over things. For that reason Hermione had felt it necessary to cast unbreakable charms on every glass that they owned so that Teddy didn't break them and accidentally hurt himself.

The Burrow was indeed crowded. Little James had woken up but he seemed to enjoy being passed around and examined and cooed over by his relatives. Teddy had gotten a warm reception too. Mrs Weasley had practically smothered him in her arms and insisted on making him his favourite hot chocolate. Vic, who did know about the running away, had run over to him and hugged him very tightly, quietly begging him never to do it again. Teddy, who had been trying to drink his hot chocolate, had hugged her back as best as he could and promised he wouldn't. He'd then told Vic to get another mug, if he tried it all the shelves would come down, and poured half the hot chocolate into it and gave her the marshmallows floating on the top.

Then he'd organised a game of 'Quidditch' in the garden. Seeing as they couldn't fly properly, they passed the ball to the other team member and tried to throw it into one of the flowerpots, which were unbreakable. It was normally him and Fred versus Vic and Dom but Vic refused to leave his side so they had to swap teams. Him and Vic did very well, getting a total of 10 points, whereas Fred and Dom only got 4 because Dom kept throwing the ball to Vic by accident or randomly sitting down when she got tired.

When it got late and James had fallen asleep, Harry let Teddy sit with the new born James on his lap whilst he stretched a bit. Molly, who was a couple of months old, stared at the new baby with fascination as she sat on Vic's lap and Louis kept trying to poke it. Teddy held his little god brother protectively, however, and Vic distracted Louis with a small ball that he chased around the floor on his knees. Roxie had curled up around Teddy's feet and had fallen asleep and when Louis got tired of chasing the ball he curled up next to her and slept with his head on her back. Fred jumped up and down on the sofa over and over again until Dom pulled him off and the two of them rolled around on the floor. All the adults watched, with smiles on their faces, as Molly curled up into Vic's small arms and Fred scrambled back onto the sofa and helped Dom on. The two of them play fought a little until Dom dropped off. Fred poked her for a long while until he, too, fell asleep. Then it was just Vic and Teddy. The two of them talked quietly for a little while until Teddy's late night and early rise made him yawn and fall asleep. Vic, with Molly still in her arms, laid her head on his shoulder and dropped off in five minutes.

"Come here." Harry had been standing in the doorway for half an hour watching the cousins slowly fall asleep. All the other adults tiptoed over to where he was standing they all smiled and 'awed' at the sight before them. Molly picked up her camera and took several shots of the sleeping children.

"That's really sweet." said Hermione who was watching them with slightly watery eyes.

"You're the only ones without kids." said Harry and she nodded.

"Maybe soon, we want them."

"Be warned, they're rarely like that." Hermione smiled.

"Oh I know, I spent enough time with Teddy to realise kids are hectic but.." she trailed off and Harry knew what she meant. Nothing really compared to having your own child and watching them and feeling proud of them and loving them.

"Harry, dear." he turned round and saw Molly holding out a copy of the photo she'd taken. "I thought Teddy might want this." Harry smiled and took it, all the adults knew why Teddy had run away and Harry knew that something like that would prove to Teddy that he was, really, a part of this family.

Harry managed to get Teddy back without waking him up. He'd assured Andromeda he could more than handle Teddy for another day, he wanted to make sure Teddy was staying happy and Teddy got used to James. It wasn't like he had to work, he'd taken a two month leave unless something incredibly serious came up. He had made it quite clear that he didn't want to be disturbed unless they were having an uprising of some sort or some person was trying to take over Britain.

Teddy woke up and was surprised to find he was in his room in Harry's house. Stretching he turned his face to the bedside table on which he had always had a picture of his parents, both here and at home, and he greeted them every morning. Often, if Teddy couldn't sleep, he'd turn onto his side and talk to his parents smiling faces, telling them everything that had happened in his life, spilling his thoughts, fears, ambitions and desires to them. He also had one photo of him and Harry. He was balanced, as he always seemed to be, on Harry's shoulders and they were both smiling at the camera. Occasionally the Teddy would take his hands away from Harry's neck and wave, two handed, at the camera with huge enthusiasm. Harry would also let go of Teddy and wave and blow a kiss at the camera, which meant Ginny had it, and then run around in a circle.

No one ever touched Teddy's bedside table, not even his grandma, because they all knew it was special to him. This was why he was surprised to find a wrapped package on the table. Carefully he took it and unwrapped it. There, in the plain brown paper, was a photo frame. Inside was a photograph of, Teddy realised instantly, last night. They were all fast asleep, centred around him as he held James protectively. They didn't do much, occasionally shifting or making faces depending on what they were thinking but it made Teddy smile. Turning it over he saw a message on the back.

_Dear Monkey,_

_Add this to your collection and just know that all these people love you like family. I think they'd all be very sad if you ran away but don't worry, they don't know why you did it, only the adults do. I get the feeling you'd get an earful from Vic if you did. _

_With love from, your always proud Godfather,_

_Harry. _

Teddy bit his lip as he fought the tears that had crept into his eyes. Harry had gone out of his way to prove that he loved him. Prove that he wanted him. Prove that all Teddy's insecurities were miscounted. Teddy loved his godfather second only to his grandma. He should have known Harry would never abandon him. He should have remembered.

* * *

><p>"<em>Harry." the five year old Teddy had just been rescued from the tree which he'd climbed but hadn't been able to get back. <em>

_"Mmm." Harry was staring around the park, his hand gripping Teddy's very tightly. _

"_I'm really sorry I climbed the tree, I couldn't help it. It was so easy." Harry looked down at him, his shining with silent laughter. _

_"I'm not mad at you. I was just worried that you might have fallen."_

_"That's why I couldn't get down. I was suddenly so far off the ground and I could so easily slip." He looked very worried so Harry knelt down before him. _

_"As long as I'm around, I won't ever let you fall. In fact I'm impressed with the way you can climb trees. Maybe we should call you Monkey." Teddy laughed. "Monkey mischief maker, that's a good name." Harry picked him up and swung him onto his shoulders. "Got a good grip up there Monkey?" Teddy just laughed. _

_"My name's Teddy." he said, only a slight protest in his voice. They stayed silent as they wondered through the park, staying on Harry's shoulders. "Harry." _

"_Yes." _

"_Why did my parents leave me?" Harry froze. He'd known that one day he'd have to answer that question some day soon. He'd known that, eventually, Teddy would want to know more than just, 'your parents had to leave, they didn't want to but they had to', but how do you tell your five year old godson that his parents were murdered? "Harry?" he asked, confused. _

"_Your parents were very good people." said Harry, unable to move, or put his godson down to look him in the eye. He wondered what Andromeda would do in this situation. _

"_I know." replied Teddy. "But why did they leave me. They must have had a choice." Harry contemplated it._

"_They didn't, not really. See Teddy, five years ago there was a war going on. You were born in it, near the end in fact. Your parents were fighting on the good side of the war. They were fighting the greatest evil of the modern era. They had to fight otherwise we might not of won. They fought because they wanted __**you**__ to live in a world of piece, without the terrifying force of evil that they'd experienced. They died to make the world you live in a better place." he heard a sob and realised that Teddy was crying. He put him down and bent down before him. He small shoulders were shaking. _

_"They left me to be killed." he sobbed. _

"_No!" he exclaimed. He turned Teddy's face so he was looking into his eyes. "They didn't want to leave you. They were made to. They were planning to come back to you but they were stopped." Teddy continued to cry. _

_"But-but they must have known they might not have come back!" Harry put both his hands on Teddy's small shoulders and was aware his hair had wilted and turned a grey colour. _

"_It was a risk that they were willing to take to try and make your life better. Teddy they wanted nothing more than for you to live a safe and happy life and if they had to sacrifice themselves for that then they would. Teddy the 'secret' part of your grandma's garden houses their graves." Teddy's eyes went wide. "Your were probably too young to remember when we went to their graves. Last year you were ill, remember you'd caught chicken pox so you missed the ceremonies and anniversaries but this year, tomorrow we mark the end of the war, we were debating whether to take you but now I will. You'll see that your parents are heroes." Teddy had stopped sobbing but his eyes were still very misty. "And, you know something." Teddy shook his head. "The ones that love us never really leave us. They live on inside of you." Teddy's eyes went wide. "You know, every time I see you, every time I see you change your hair, or when you knock something over or when you sit calmly and say something intelligent, I think of them. You remind me of them a lot. You are them." Teddy swallowed. _

_"Can I see their graves?" Harry nodded. _

_"Tomorrow, when your grandma is back." Teddy nodded and Harry wiped the tears off his face. Taking his hand they continued to walk until Teddy asked him another question._

"_Will you leave me?" Harry's eyes went wide. He looked down at his godson, squatting once more he was met with wide, pale brown, eyes. _

"_No." he said. "I promise you I will never leave you." Then he wrapped his arms around Teddy and Teddy held tightly to him until Harry hoisted him back up onto his shoulders. "I will always be there for you Monkey. I will always be there. Understand?" Teddy nodded. _

_"Yes." _

_The next day Harry told Ginny that she should go to her parents house to gather at Fred's grave before they went to Hogwarts for the memorial service of five years since the war ended, but that he was going to Andromeda's with Teddy. Ginny had looked a little sad but understood that this was a big deal for Teddy. This was the first memorial service he was alert for. This was the first one he would really remember. So she kissed him on the cheek, because Teddy was there and he was incredibly sad and worried looking. _

"_Okay Teds?" he asked and Teddy shook his head. "Hey, I really understand what you're going through. My parents are dead, too." Teddy nodded and took a firm hold of Harry's hand. "You're going to be alright." he said. Stepping out of the house he gripped Teddy's hand even tighter. He disapparated. _

_They arrived in Andromeda's front garden and Harry went round to the gate that led into the garden. He went through the gate and in the garden, in all black robes, was Andromeda. She took Teddy's other hand and the three of them walked through into the back of the garden where his parents graves were. _

_Teddy looked down at the large headstone which was inscribed with _

_**Remus John Lupin~Nymphadora "Tonks" Lupin**_

_**1960-1998~1973-1998**_

_**Loyal friends, loving partners and parents in life **_

_**Heroes in death**_

_Teddy stared at the graves his face showing absolutely no emotion. Harry couldn't tell what he was thinking. His hair had returned to his natural brown colour, like Remus' had been and his face was suddenly heart shaped. He shared a look with Andromeda who simply pursed her lips, fighting back the tears that came each time she remembered her daughter's untimely death. _

"_Can we go?" asked Teddy and Harry looked down at him and then at Andromeda. She nodded and Harry pulled on his hand to lead him back out of the garden and round to the front where they promptly disapparated. _

_The road up to Hogwarts was full of people in black with mournful expressions as they walked up the drive to the castle. Harry nodded and even shook hands with a couple of people that he knew or at least recognised. _

_They were seated in the front row at the end of a long row of Weasley's, even Charlie was there. Teddy swung his legs from his seat between Harry and Andromeda but when the speeches started, the first one by Kingsley, he began to clutch tightly onto Harry's arm. By the time Professor McGonagall had finished speaking Teddy was sitting in his lap, his hands clutching Harry's arms very tightly. _

"_Now our next speaker is the hero of the battle; Harry Potter." Harry made to stand up but Teddy was clinging onto him tightly. _

"_Teddy!" hissed Andromeda. "Let go of Harry." Teddy was shaking his head, his hair suddenly white and his face too pale. Everyone was watching and Harry knew there was only one thing he could do. _

"_It's okay Andromeda." he said to her and turned to Teddy. "You are a __**real**__ monkey, Teddy, you know that." he hoisted him onto his shoulders and carried him, Teddy's face buried in his hair, onto the stage. Quite a lot of people, who had been crying before, smiled at the sight of a five year old clinging onto Harry Potter, his face buried in his messy hair. _

"_Right." said Harry once he'd got onto the podium. "Sorry for the delay, I got an unexpected friend joining my today. For those of you who don't know this is Teddy Remus Lupin, son of two heroes, with out whom we wouldn't-I wouldn't-be here today; Remus and Tonks." there were lots of sad smiles and Professor McGonagall blew her nose loudly into a handkerchief. "Having Teddy here is actually an added bonus because it explains a lot of my speech. Five years today the war ended. Five years today we killed Voldermort and I say 'we' for a reason because it wasn't just me who killed him. Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione and Neville all destroyed a part of his soul, but I'm not even talking about that. We killed Voldermort with our love. As long we loved one another we would be prepared to fight, and for as long as we fought we would continue to destroy him. Someone would pass on the message of how to destroy his body but we all killed the message he was spreading. We all destroyed the hate that he felt with our ability to love. So whilst Voldermort will undoubtedly gain a legacy, ours will far outstrip it. We were the people that stood up against a tyrant, a ruthless murderer, a man without the ability to love or feel remorse. Today isn't just about the lives we lost, it's about looking round and seeing how far we've come. Today is my niece Vicotrie's third birthday, very aptly named as it means victory." Bill and Fleur both beamed up at him and Vic just squirmed at the mention of her name, she'd been falling asleep. "My godson." he moved his shoulders up and down so Teddy was bumped slightly. "My godson up there is proof that the ones that love us never leave." Teddy's head went up as he remembered Harry saying this to him yesterday. "We leave our legacy in our children, our family. We must remember that, whilst they have died, they are still very much alive in our memories and hearts." the audience burst into applause and there were lots of sniffles blown noises as Harry lifted Teddy down into his arms and held him very tightly. He carried him all the way back into his seat and sat down as the crowd began to disperse, walking away towards the memorial or back out to the gates so they could mourn in private. They sat there together, Teddy in his lap, head resting against his chest whilst everyone else walked off. McGonagall came over to Andromeda and the two of them walked away. The rest of the Weasley's also moved off. Percy and George went together to the lake and Ron, Hermione and Ginny went over to Neville and Luna. Bill and Fleur took their sleeping children home and Charlie stayed with his parents as they knelt before the memorial. _

"_See Teddy." said Harry eventually. "I won't __**ever**__ leave you."_

* * *

><p>"Teddy." Teddy put the frame down, hurriedly, onto his bedside table as Harry came in.<p>

"Harry." he said, sitting upright.

"Everything alright up here?" Teddy nodded. Harry looked at the picture and smiled. "Like it?"

"Yes." he breathed. "Harry I'm so-"

"You don't apologise for _anything_, understand? Never." Teddy nodded solemnly until a twinkle of mischief appeared in his eyes.

"So if I destroy the living room, I don't have to say sorry?" Harry began to laugh.

"Oh I'm going to get you Monkey." Teddy leapt of the bed and slid between his Godfather's legs. He hurried off down the stairs, undoubtedly drawn by them smell of food. Harry turned and chased after him, catching him when he was halfway down the stairs to the kitchen. Ginny looked up at the sound of a commotion and smiled as she saw Harry come in, his arms around Teddy's chest, holding him off the ground.

"I rounded up the last one ma'am." he said, mock saluting. Ginny laughed at him and James gurgled in imitation.

"Breakfast is on the table." Teddy jumped onto his chair and promptly slipped right off.

"I'm okay!" he cried, leaping back up a second later. "I'm fine!"

"Of course you are." said Harry as he began to butter Teddy's toast. "You're as bouncy as Tigger."

"As bouncy as who?" Harry looked between his wife and godson.

"Forget I said that."

"Done and done." said Ginny and Teddy laughed.

"You do know that half the things that you say are discarded anyway." Harry looked offended and James made another gurgle. "See James agrees." Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.

"One day you've known him and you've already turned him against his old man, you're good at this!" A bright smile lit up Teddy's face when he heard that and Harry allowed himself a private one of his own, silently acknowledging that all the gold in Gringotts wasn't worth that smile.


End file.
